INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY-PSY 100

Cultural Perspectives of Psychological Disorders

Cultural perspectives of psychological disorders differ from one society to another across the globe and significantly influence how different people view and comprehend these mental disorders. Cultural beliefs and practices heavily impact the stigma and how others perceive mental health disorders. Several factors contribute to the stigmatization of mental health issues in many societies. These factors are; a lack of psychological disorders awareness, misconceptions, and social norms. Lack of understanding and awareness of psychological disorders may lead to fear and misunderstanding, subjecting mental health patients to stigmatization. For instance, although there has been substantial progress in creating mental issues awareness, most of the public media portray mental health disorders negatively. Misconceptions arise when mental health patients are associated with or perceived to be dangerous and other stereotypes which lead to discrimination against mental illness people. For instance, societies may attribute mental illness to personal weaknesses or superstitions. Social norms generally lead to stigmatizing people with mental illness by creating negative attitudes toward them, as some societies may view these people as dangerous, starting discrimination against them (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 534-535).

Stigmatization of mental illness people creates a significant barrier when seeking professional medical care as these patients may hesitate or avoid seeking the care. Patients with mental illnesses may be reluctant to seek professional help out of fear of stigmatization, self-stigmatization, and reliance on individual coping mechanisms with mental health concerns. A lack of information primarily causes fear of stigmatization or judgment since people with mental health difficulties may avoid treatment out of apprehension. This fear contributes to self-stigmatization, which leads patients to depend on personal coping strategies which are not as dependable as professional health care (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 537). My neighbor has experienced several mental health struggles with her children, stigmatizing her family. Initially, she used to fear seeking professional help, fearing being judged and labeled by her society. As a community, we must band together to combat stigma. Fostering community support can compel people with mental illnesses to open out about their experiences without worrying about criticism or stigma. Media should also change the mental illness people’s representation as their accurate portrayal can reduce stereotypes against mental health issues. Creating awareness through communal education or promoting mental health education in learning institutions can help reduce misconceptions and increase understanding of these mental issues.

Works Cited

Hockenbury, D., and S. Hockenbury. “Discovering Psychology Sixth Edition Edition.” (2012).