Transcultural psychiatry: Comparison of eastern and western culture and their influence on mental health and its treatment

Abstract

IntroductionIn a globalizing world, the need for humans to understand one another is fundamental. Transcultural Psychiatry aims to bridge the differences due to culture, norms and values between doctors and patients.ObjectivesTo study the beliefs of Eastern and Western populations on the subject of religion, the paranormal and its relation to mental health.MethodsThe study was conducted targeting citizens of Eastern and Western countries (target sample size 200). A survey and 2 case studies were distributed, aimed to determine respondent’s level of belief in cultural superstitions and practices, views on mental disorders and opinions on treatment. A chi-square statistical test (significance set at ≤0.05) was performed to test validity.Resultsare tabulated in Table 1. In the case studies, P-value =4.68x10-6 proves a strong relationship between East/West populations and their viewpoints on mental illness vs. possession. There is a strong relationship (p=3.37x10-5) between respondents’ beliefs in spiritual healing and its effectiveness in treating mental illness.Table 1EastWestTotal respondents (226)58%42%Identified as religious74%26%Strong belief in paranormal85%15%Effectiveness of spiritual healing55%45%Preferred methods of treatmentMental health professionals54%46%Religious healer/psychic90%10%ConclusionsThe study revealed that Eastern populations are far more superstitious and religious than their Western counterparts, and also have higher belief in the effectiveness of spiritual healing to treat mental disorders. This difference demonstrates the importance of integrating culture into diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, and further explore methods for more inclusive treatment plans.