Treatment of disabilities varies internationally: mental health differs across the globe
In Japan, suicide is considered honorable. Mental illness is not talked about because it is considered “failure.”
In America, on the contrary, suicidal thoughts, along with many other diagnoses, are open to discussion in the realm of mental health.
Mental health is everywhere. The difference, though, is the subjective perception of mental health: it’s the same game, but the scores are kept differently.
Across the globe, mental health stigma affects how people of different ethnicities approach and seek help for mental illnesses, as well as the resources available in each culture.
According to a Harvard University study published in the journal Health Affairs, the U.S. has a higher number of serious mental illness cases, yet a lower treatment rate than a number of other developed countries. In addition, this treatment in the U.S. is more dependent on the ability to pay, rather than the need for care.
Mackenzi Rauls, the founder of Carlmont’s Bring Change 2 Mind Club, said, “I think that as people continue to bring the importance of mental health to the forefront so society, it will become normalized and more changes surrounding the issue will be made.”
The Harvard researcher who headed much of this research through the World Health Organization, Ronald Kessler, says that people in less-developed countries are generally less depressed, as cited by The Atlantic.
“After all,” Kessler said, “when you’re literally trying to survive, who has time for depression? Americans, on the other hand, many of whom lead relatively comfortable lives, blow other nations away in the depression factor, leading some to suggest that depression is a ‘luxury disorder.’”
However, this international research and data collection numbers could be distorted due to the stigma that exists within these cultures surrounding mental illness. Different cultures may silence or encourage the discussion around mental health.
For example, Asian culture values preserving family honor, admitting mental instability would serve as a “disgrace” to the entire family.
“There is a fear among the community that if anyone finds out, they will be ostracized,” said Dr. Vasudev N. Makhija, the founder and president of the South Asian Mental Health Initiative and Network. “Even for seeking emotional support, they just keep quiet and just suffer in silence instead.”
Although Japan is among one of the countries with the lowest mental health illness rates according to statistics, Japan also has the highest suicide rate among Asian countries.
In Japanese culture, suicide is seen as socially acceptable under certain circumstances; taking one’s own life life is seen as an honorable way of atoning for public disgrace and an expression of one’s deep sense of shame.
In the African community, mental health is often misunderstood or unspoken about; only about one-quarter of African Americans seek mental health care, compared to about 40 percent of whites.
In one “Think Africa Press” Uganda study, the term “depression” was revealed as not culturally acceptable, while another study conducted in Nigeria found that mental issues were observed with fear, avoidance, and anger. This can be attributed to a general lack of education: 34 percent of surveyed Nigerians correlated mental illness with drug misuse as the main cause, 18.8 percent said the will of God, and 11.7 percent cited witchcraft possession.
Because of these beliefs and uneducation, some countries lack the resources needed or the courage to speak up for mental health issues, such as Japan and Africa. Many may turn to faith and spiritual means rather than professional help in pair with their cultural traditions.
In addition, mental health issues may be shied away from getting the necessary resources they need due to the stigma that surrounds the topic, especially in younger years. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 20 percent of youth ages 13-18 live a with mental health condition and 50 percent of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14.
“I do think that high schoolers are more prone to mental health issues because of the pressures that the American educational system poses on them. Many tend to overlook their own mental health because they view it as unimportant, in which they may be missing signs a future mental health issue,” Rauls said.
Although high schoolers may experience more difficulties with mental health, Carlmont has been very welcoming to mental health issues and has many resources in which students can look to for support.
“I saw an immediate need for a BC2M club at Carlmont and wanted to use it as a platform to break away from stereotypes and educate about mental illness, to not just students, but the community as a whole. I saw it as a safe place for students to discuss mental health, free from the fear of judgment or scrutinization,” Rauls said.
In America, on the contrary, suicidal thoughts, along with many other diagnoses, are open to discussion in the realm of mental health.
Mental health is everywhere. The difference, though, is the subjective perception of mental health: it’s the same game, but the scores are kept differently.
Across the globe, mental health stigma affects how people of different ethnicities approach and seek help for mental illnesses, as well as the resources available in each culture.
According to a Harvard University study published in the journal Health Affairs, the U.S. has a higher number of serious mental illness cases, yet a lower treatment rate than a number of other developed countries. In addition, this treatment in the U.S. is more dependent on the ability to pay, rather than the need for care.
Mackenzi Rauls, the founder of Carlmont’s Bring Change 2 Mind Club, said, “I think that as people continue to bring the importance of mental health to the forefront so society, it will become normalized and more changes surrounding the issue will be made.”
The Harvard researcher who headed much of this research through the World Health Organization, Ronald Kessler, says that people in less-developed countries are generally less depressed, as cited by The Atlantic.
“After all,” Kessler said, “when you’re literally trying to survive, who has time for depression? Americans, on the other hand, many of whom lead relatively comfortable lives, blow other nations away in the depression factor, leading some to suggest that depression is a ‘luxury disorder.’”
However, this international research and data collection numbers could be distorted due to the stigma that exists within these cultures surrounding mental illness. Different cultures may silence or encourage the discussion around mental health.
For example, Asian culture values preserving family honor, admitting mental instability would serve as a “disgrace” to the entire family.
“There is a fear among the community that if anyone finds out, they will be ostracized,” said Dr. Vasudev N. Makhija, the founder and president of the South Asian Mental Health Initiative and Network. “Even for seeking emotional support, they just keep quiet and just suffer in silence instead.”
Although Japan is among one of the countries with the lowest mental health illness rates according to statistics, Japan also has the highest suicide rate among Asian countries.
In Japanese culture, suicide is seen as socially acceptable under certain circumstances; taking one’s own life life is seen as an honorable way of atoning for public disgrace and an expression of one’s deep sense of shame.
In the African community, mental health is often misunderstood or unspoken about; only about one-quarter of African Americans seek mental health care, compared to about 40 percent of whites.
In one “Think Africa Press” Uganda study, the term “depression” was revealed as not culturally acceptable, while another study conducted in Nigeria found that mental issues were observed with fear, avoidance, and anger. This can be attributed to a general lack of education: 34 percent of surveyed Nigerians correlated mental illness with drug misuse as the main cause, 18.8 percent said the will of God, and 11.7 percent cited witchcraft possession.
Because of these beliefs and uneducation, some countries lack the resources needed or the courage to speak up for mental health issues, such as Japan and Africa. Many may turn to faith and spiritual means rather than professional help in pair with their cultural traditions.
In addition, mental health issues may be shied away from getting the necessary resources they need due to the stigma that surrounds the topic, especially in younger years. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 20 percent of youth ages 13-18 live a with mental health condition and 50 percent of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14.
“I do think that high schoolers are more prone to mental health issues because of the pressures that the American educational system poses on them. Many tend to overlook their own mental health because they view it as unimportant, in which they may be missing signs a future mental health issue,” Rauls said.
Although high schoolers may experience more difficulties with mental health, Carlmont has been very welcoming to mental health issues and has many resources in which students can look to for support.
“I saw an immediate need for a BC2M club at Carlmont and wanted to use it as a platform to break away from stereotypes and educate about mental illness, to not just students, but the community as a whole. I saw it as a safe place for students to discuss mental health, free from the fear of judgment or scrutinization,” Rauls said.