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8.5: Cultural Impact on Mental Health

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    216711
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    The Impact of Culture on Mental Health

    Cultural values and beliefs impact how a person views certain ideas or behaviors. In the case of mental health, it can impact whether or not the individual seeks help, the type of help sought, and the support available. Every individual has different cultural beliefs and faces a unique journey to recovery. In general, historically marginalized communities in the United States are less likely to access mental health treatment, or they wait until symptoms are severe before seeking assistance.

    Four ways that culture can impact mental well-being are the following:

    • Cultural stigma. Every culture has a different perspective on mental health, and most cultures have a stigma surrounding mental health. Mental health challenges may be considered a weakness and something to hide, which can make it harder for those struggling to talk openly and ask for help.
    • Describing symptoms. Culture can influence how people describe or feel about their symptoms. It can affect whether someone chooses to recognize and talk openly about physical symptoms, emotional symptoms, or both. For example, members of the Amish community are typically stoic and endure physical and emotional pain without complaining.
    • Community support. Cultural factors can determine how much support someone gets from their family and community when it comes to mental health. Because of existing stigma, it can be challenging for individuals to find mental health treatment and support.
    • Resources. When looking for mental health treatment, it can be difficult to find resources and treatment options that take into account a specific culture’s concerns and needs.

    Attribution: This page titled 1.2: Mental Health and Mental Illness is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Ernstmeyer & Christman (Eds.) (OpenRN) .


    8.5: Cultural Impact on Mental Health is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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