Differences in Mental Health Perspectives between Asian-Americans and Caucasians
Conference Year
January 2019
Abstract
Culture and ethnic backgrounds play an important role in the attitudes and perspectives on mental health. Stigma is a major barrier towards seeking treatment for mental health, thus improving awareness is crucial to improve public prevention and intervention of various mental illnesses. This study aimed to characterize the various perspectives on mental health and measure the differences between them among Caucasians and Asian-Americans. Mental health perspectives were divided into five categories – authoritarianism, benevolence, mental hygiene etiology, social restrictiveness, and interpersonal etiology. 204 participants were recruited to take a questionnaire that quantified these categories using five clinical scenarios representing psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, substance abuse, and schizophrenia. Results showed that Asian-Americans were scored higher in authoritarian, social restriction, and interpersonal etiology categories with high statistical significance (p-values << 0.05). The Caucasian group scored higher in benevolence and mental hygiene etiology categories with high statistical significance (p-values << 0.05). However, both groups were likely to seek treatment for mental illness with statistically analysis showing no meaningful difference between the two groups.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. David C. Rettew
Status
Medical Students
Student College
Larner College of Medicine
Program/Major
Health Sciences
Primary Research Category
Health Sciences
Differences in Mental Health Perspectives between Asian-Americans and Caucasians
Culture and ethnic backgrounds play an important role in the attitudes and perspectives on mental health. Stigma is a major barrier towards seeking treatment for mental health, thus improving awareness is crucial to improve public prevention and intervention of various mental illnesses. This study aimed to characterize the various perspectives on mental health and measure the differences between them among Caucasians and Asian-Americans. Mental health perspectives were divided into five categories – authoritarianism, benevolence, mental hygiene etiology, social restrictiveness, and interpersonal etiology. 204 participants were recruited to take a questionnaire that quantified these categories using five clinical scenarios representing psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, substance abuse, and schizophrenia. Results showed that Asian-Americans were scored higher in authoritarian, social restriction, and interpersonal etiology categories with high statistical significance (p-values << 0.05). The Caucasian group scored higher in benevolence and mental hygiene etiology categories with high statistical significance (p-values << 0.05). However, both groups were likely to seek treatment for mental illness with statistically analysis showing no meaningful difference between the two groups.