Seeking Professional Help: Etiology Beliefs About Mental Illness Across Cultures by Sylvia Xiaohua Chen, Article Critique Example

Introduction

Although there are stories about mental health seen and heard of in the media, mental health is sometimes a taboo subject that people do not like to think or talk about. Consquently, there is no doubt that people may be reluctant to seek help for their mental health issues. This contributes to mental health services underutilization and it is a global problem. According to Chen & Mak (2008), as reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, only 15% of people with mental health issues sought professional help in a given year in the United States. Similarly, a European study showed only one-fifth of the people with mental health issues received profressional help. This shows that mental health services underutilization is a serious issue in different parts of the world, and it is something that needs remedying, as suggested by the research study in this article.

The significance of understanding how people of different cultures view mental health problems are an indication of whether or not they will seek out help from mental health professionals. Additionally, what the public believes about mental illness, and those affected by it, could influence how society reacts toward people who are mentally ill. This collective attitude of society is likely to discourage someone with mental illness from seeking the help that he or she needs. This may be particularly true in different cultures as related to their beliefs. The way society and individuals view mental illness has a bearing on help-seeking and clinical management adherence after a mental illness diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study

This research study focuses on the influence of cultural beliefs on people with mental illness and their tendencies, or lack thereof, to seek professional help for their mental issues. The study specifically examines this issue in European American, Chinese American, Hong Kong Chinese, and Mainland Chinese college students. In particular, the research examines the students’ intentions and behaviors related to help-seeking history and their likelihood of repeating these actions concerning professional mental help.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework of this study includes assessing the relationship between the students’ help-seeking histories and the chances of them repeating that same history again in the future. The research question constitutes ascertaining whether or not past help-seeking history, among these students, is predictive of them seeking the same help in future circumstances.

Research Hypothesis

The research hypothesis obtained consisted of the prediction that the research model, for this study, was sufficient for validating that students in each culture shared some similiarities as it related to the research question. However, the prediciton also included assumptions regarding the influence of cultural differences in help-seeking behaviors and the likelihood of repeating help-seeking history.

Research Variables

The research variables for this study consisted of aspects of a hypothesized model such as “help-seeking history, environmental/hereditary causes, and social-personal causes as the predictors and help- seeking likelihood as the criterion variable” (Chen & Mak, 2008, p. 443). These variables were applied to path analyses for testing the hypothesized model to evaluate structural paths between the four cultural groups as it related to their help-seeking processes.

Methodology

Design and Sampling

The method of research included 747 participants who were undergraduate students. These students are culturally diverse from different countries, including the United States, Hong Kong, and Mainland China. The demographic breakdown of the participants is reported as 87 male and 104 female European Americans, 62 male and 132 female Chinese Americans, 72 male and 97 female Hong Kong Chinese, and 96 male and 94 female Mainland Chinese. The participants’ total mean age was totalled at 19.88 years.

Data Collection Method

The research procedure was conducted via questionnaire in classroom settings based on the four cultural groups. The questions focused on beliefs concerning mental illness and specific cultural beliefs regarding psychological problem causes. The participants rated environmental or hereditary causes on a 10-point scale with 10 being the highest rating. According to the article, some of the questions asked about the participants’ beliefs about whether or not people have psychological problems because they do not have willpower, or there is an abnormality in the person’s brain.

Additionally, the participants were asked to assess their psychological problem help sources such as social workers and counselors. They were also asked to rate the services of their psychologists and psychiatrists. The purspose of this was to ascertain the levelof the participants’ help-seeking history as measured by whether they ever used any of the help sources named above.

Statistical Data Analysis

Data analysis was completed with descriptive statistics that included measuring means and standard deviations. Pearson correlations were also used to measure data. According to the article differences, among the cultural groups, in help-seeking history and likelihood of repeat was examined. The next step in the process utilized path analysis for testing the model of hypothesis explained above. This allowed for a comparison of the pathways that participants took for help- seeking, based on environmental, hereditary, or social-personal causes.

Results

There were differences found in help-seeking history and likelihood among the different groups. Specifically, the research results show that European and Chinese American students were more likely to get professional mental health help than the Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese students. This was attributable to lay beliefs about mental illness causes, as well as the students’ previous help-seeking history, as it was integral in predicting the likelihood of future help-seeking behaviors. These predictions showed a relationship to environmental and hereditary causes. However, there was no sigifnicant correlation to social-personal causes. The study findings show a correlation between the students’ help-seeking tendencies within their cultural beliefs.

In addition, research study findings suggest that Westernization plays a significant role in mental health help-seeking behavior among study participants. The results show that European and Chinese Americans were likely to seek help and had a positive help-seeking history, more than did Hong Kong Chinese. However, the hypothesized patterns increased for them all. Moreover, the Mainland Chinese were not likely to seek help nor did have a significant help-seeking history; however, this was predicted. This is concluded as an indication that people influenced by Westernization are more willing to seek mental health help, because of their exposure to Western cultures and norms that view mental health help as positive. This is due to the fact that many non-Western cultures have strong views about public image and honor. For example, “In the traditional Chinese perspective, emotions are regarded as pathogenic factors disturbing normal functioning of the body, thus discouraging the expression of emotional extremes (Chen & Mak, 2008, p. 447). This is a reason why the Chinese are so concerned with saving face by keeping personal problems private.

Conclusion and Recommendations

It is implied that mental health practices are influential in improving utilization of mental health services. This study’s hypothesized model may be supported across cultures and the perception of the relationships among possible causes of mental health issues and help-seeking behaviors. In addition, it is recommended that strategies for enhancing mental health help-seeking behaviors across different cultures include recognizing cultural sensitivities and developing and implementing effective promotions for help-seeking for mental health professionals. This relates to mental health services integration to include primary care, coaching, training, counseling, and health promotions to help lessen help-seeking resistance. Another idea for improving mental health services utilization is developing a way for people to access mental health care without specifically seeking mental health services. This may reduce the stigma associated with mental illness by lumping it in with their general health screenings.

Promoting professional mental health services in a way that is less forward and taking into consideration the lay beliefs of cross-cultural mental health patients is important. It is also a good way of influencing positive help-seeking behaviors, educating the public about mental health causes, and eliminating misunderstandings about mental illness. The promotion of professional services is significant to reaching this goal. It is important that the needs and beliefs of culturally-diverse groups are considered when counseling those who may be mentally ill. This is a positive step toward developing this initiative beyond multiculturalism toward internationalization by incorporating an international perspective in counseling psychology (Chen & Mak, 2008).

Culture is a strong influence on people’s beliefs and behaviors, particularly as it relates to mental illness. Culture is also significant in shaping specific attitudes about help-seeking from mental health professionals. This is also true about a person of a specific culture and how he or she perceives the mental health professional. Those who feel a sense of connection with their mental health professional showed better responses to positively seeking help.

Some people view mental health as something to hide; however, they may not see physical health in the same light. This may be due to the stigma that mental health brings, which may lead people to feel ashamed and embarrassed. This is a stigma that society would do well to eliminate, as helping those who are mentally ill is a positive action for society as well.

As stated, mental health can sometimes be a hushed subject, particularly for people of non-Westernized cultures. However, positive changes in mental health professional approaches toward multiculturalism in regard to help-seeking promotion, is essential. This is a positive step toward remedying mental health services underutilization issues, globally.