Her character’s arc in Euphoria has sparked important conversations about mental health, especially among young viewers. Through Sweeney’s portrayal, Euphoria offers an unflinching exploration of the darker sides of adolescence, highlighting the importance of empathy, understanding, and support in navigating these turbulent years. It was a bitter cold January morning when family medicine physician Emily Zucker (M’15) arrived at the community health center clinic for work. Sheth, who in 2017 received GHI funding to study refugee and asylee mental health in the greater Washington, D.C.
The Clinical Affairs Team at MentalHealth.com is a dedicated group of medical professionals with diverse and extensive clinical experience. Studies have shown that people in the US who are Black, male, or of lower education levels receive a reduced quality of depression and anxiety treatments compared to others . Some conditions, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are found to be equally prevalent within different countries, cultures, and societies. Even when speaking the same Mental Health Podcast RSS Feed language, people from different backgrounds could encounter misinterpretations of symptoms or the expectations of and adherence to treatments. As such, they are far less likely to receive a mental health diagnosis than other ethnicities . Cultural and societal norms and expectations impact mental health outcomes in many ways.
Celebrities normalizing mental health conditions
I told her about episodes of anxiety I experienced in school. There isn’t even a word for “stigma” in Hindi. During initial consultations, it might be helpful to ask what approach a practitioner will take to diverse backgrounds, giving the individual a sense of whether it will be a good fit. Some warning signs are changes in mood or behavior, retreating from social encounters, inability to focus on things, or changes in sleep and appetite. Try not to judge and stigmatize, but assure them they are not alone.
Learn more about culturally competent care and suicide prevention resources that support individuals in underrepresented communities. Researchers continue to disentangle and address the complexities of cultural issues in mental health treatment so that the field is progressing toward eliminating mental health disparities in quality of care in ethnic minority communities. Each mental health professional must receive education to gain knowledge on different cultures and how some communities will have differing views on mental health treatment and social views.
Perceptions of mental health and treatments
Seeking treatment from healthcare professionals informed about how culture can affect health and wellness can help people receive better, more beneficial mental health care. These types of perceptions can lead to stigma about mental health, which may discourage people from seeking treatment. By opening up these dialogues, we can foster understanding and support around mental health, which is vital for individual and community well-being. Ethnocultural communities suggest relative syndrome of beliefs and practices so that experiences of mental illness differ and may not fit into the concept of colonial psychiatry. Many of these same cultural groups encounter barriers to treatment such as mistrust of mental healthcare, language differences, and lack of access/insurance.
About this article
“I would define my cultural background as being Black/African American. This can reduce or prevent access to effective treatment.
- However, with widespread social conflict and deteriorating psychological health of large sections of the population, these deeper aspects can’t be overlooked for long (Leonhardt, 2021).
- This can end up creating concentrated feelings of loneliness and worsening the severity of the mental illness, creating a vicious cycle of symptoms and ostracisation.
- “One of our assumptions basic to our Western understanding of depression is that people who are not depressed should have a positive view of themselves.
- “Biomedicine itself—the clinical practice of medicine in the United States—is a culture,” Mendenhall says.
- Cultural and societal norms and expectations have a significant impact on mental health.
- Feeling respected, valued and validated helped participants feel empowered to develop and deliver mental health and wellbeing education in their community.
This perspective could stigmatize individuals with mental health disorders and discourage them from seeking psychiatric care . For instance, a strong cultural emphasis on academic and professional achievement in South Korea contributes to stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness, which may discourage individuals from seeking help . Differences in societal perceptions across cultures can lead to distinct forms of discrimination, further compounding the challenges faced by individuals with mental health issues.