Cultural Beliefs, Mental Health Literacy, and Help-Seeking Behaviours Among Young Sarawak Indigenous Adults

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the prevailing cultural beliefs concerning mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviours among young adults within the indigenous community of Sarawak. Six participants from various indigenous communities from Sarawak, ranging from 18 to 35-year-olds, were interviewed in the qualitative study. Four main themes with fourteen (14) sub-themes were found in the interview data using thematic analysis. These comprised belief systems on mental health, mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviour, and barriers to help-seeking. The study was done among selected young adults in the Indigenous Community in Sarawak. The predominant finding of this study was the inclination of most participants to seek religious support when confronted with mental health challenges. To advance the investigation, future research should explore similar themes across different age groups and expand participant diversity, encompassing a range of socio-economic backgrounds, to provide a refined understanding of these dynamics on mental health among youths.