Culture dominates behavior and emotions. Some cultures allow people to express feelings with ease while others suppress those feelings. According to Shah, some global reports indicate that depression is more common in certain countries, such as large countries like the United States, China, India and Bangladesh.
Culture affects the way we express our thoughts, behaviors and emotions. It is therefore not surprising that there are cultural differences in the way anxiety and depression is manifested and treated. One of the main differences seen across cultures is the way anxiety and depression is expressed.
Ethnomedical research suggests that cultural differences in focusing on oneself and one's place within the social hierarchy are linked to the prevalence of depression. Some of this difference comes from the individualistic vs. collectivistic orientation of a particular culture.
Many of the risk factors for depression are similar across cultures. These include gender, unemployment, traumatic events. The themes of depression tend to revolve around loss. But what people make of their losses and how they interpret their distress differs tremendously across cultures.
Abstract. Lifetime rates of clinical depression and anxiety in the West tend to be approximately 4 to 10 times greater than rates in Asia.
Just over a quarter of Black (28%) and Hispanic (27%) nonelderly adults reported having a mental illness or substance use disorder in 2020, compared to 36% of White nonelderly adults (Figure 4).
Culture significantly impacts various aspects of mental health including the perception of health and illness, treatment-seeking behaviour and coping styles. As such, simplified mainstreaming of mental health approaches may not cater to the needs of a culturally diverse population from different communities.
It's mainly found in those with low self-esteem, who have a poor outlook, or who feel overwhelmed by stress. Depression is also more common in people with anxiety or other mental health problems. Teens who have tried to self-harm by the age of 16 have a higher risk of having depression by the time they're young adults.
In Japan, the loss of 'mental self-control' or mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety were seen as something over which a person is unable to exercise will power. Ingrained in Japanese culture, those who are unable to practice will power are taught to feel a sense of shame as a result.
In a recent editorial in the British Journal of General Practice, Professor Christopher Dowrick argues that depression could be a western culture-bound syndrome, rather than a universal disorder.
Contemporary populations may now be more susceptible to depression because of greater inequality, low social support, intense individual competitiveness, and increased social failure (Gilbert, 2006). Onset of a major depressive episode often coincides with stressful life events (Kendler et al., 1999; Nesse, 2000).
"Among some immigrant and refugee families, discussions of mental health problems or mental illness is taboo, due to a cultural perspective that mental illnesses signify being 'crazy' or 'mad,' thereby preventing families from seeking help because of fear of bringing shame on the family," she says.
Cultural stigma.
Every culture has a different way of looking at mental health. For many, there is growing stigma around mental health, and mental health challenges are considered a weakness and something to hide. This can make it harder for those struggling to talk openly and ask for help.
Cultures may influence and contribute to the causation of mental illnesses, mould symptoms, render certain sub-groups more vulnerable as well as modify beliefs and explanations of illnesses. This demonstrates that cultural beliefs and values represent a crucial factor in mental illness.
Germany. Germany has prioritized the mental well-being of its citizens for a long time. The government provides a vast support system to the people suffering from mental illness.
Predictably, depression burdens for the most part follow depression rates. The burden is highest in Afghanistan and in Middle Eastern and North African countries, as well as in Eritrea, Rwanda, Botswana, Gabon, Croatia, the Netherlands (!) and Honduras. It's lowest in Asia's most prosperous economies, including Japan.
As a result, depression in developing nations is equally prevalent as—and often more prevalent than—depression in wealthier nations.
Rich countries tend to have greater income disparities between the very rich and very poor, which could play a role in the development of depression, the researchers said. It's also possible that the study underestimated depression rates in low- and middle-income countries, the researchers said.
studied 89037 people from 18 countries and concluded that the average lifetime and 12-month prevalence estimates of major depression were 14.6% and 5.5% in high-income countries and 11.1% and 5.9% in low- to middle-income countries.
Depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors. People who have gone through adverse life events (unemployment, bereavement, traumatic events) are more likely to develop depression.
Abstract. Depression is currently one of the main barriers to further civilizational development. Despite intensive efforts, it is a growing health, social and economic problem.