Mental Illness and Cultural Perspectives

Running head: MENTAL ILLNESS 1
Mental Illness
Name
Institution

MENTAL ILLNESS 2
Mental Illness and Cultural Perspectives
Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of mental illness include suicidal thoughts, withdrawal from friends and
family, anxiety, stress, extreme mood swings, delusions, and hallucinations among others
(Bolton, 2013).
Risk Factors
A history of mental illness in the family, drug and alcohol abuse, a previous mental illness, a
history of early childhood neglect or abuse, and brain injuries among others (Bolton, 2013).
Treatment
Treatment for mental illness depends on the type of illness and its severity. One of the treatment
options includes the use of medication such as antidepressants, antipsychotic medications, and
anti-anxiety medications (Henderson, Evans-Lacko & Thornicroft, 2013). Other treatment
options include psychotherapy and brain-stimulation treatments.
Key Points
I chose this topic because it enlightens us that attitudes and cultural perspectives towards mental
illness differ depending on families, cultures, and ethnicities. From this topic, I have learned that
the belief and attitudes of people towards the mentally ill are shaped by cultural and religious
teachings.
How to know we have a Mental illness
Mostly, with the help of a professional therapist, we can know that we may be suffering from
some form of mental illness if we experience some of the signs and symptoms mentioned above.

MENTAL ILLNESS 3
Coping skills
From this topic, I learned that mental illness is a serious issue that must be handled appropriately
to ensure that patients do not feel neglected. I believe that spending more time with friends and
family members who inspire a patient can help the patient in recovering from this condition.
Main Idea of the Topic
The primary purpose of this paper was to provide information on the issues surrounding mental
illness and how different cultures perceive this condition.

MENTAL ILLNESS 4
References
Bolton, D. (2013). What is mental illness. The Oxford handbook of philosophy and psychiatry,
434-450.
Henderson, C., Evans-Lacko, S., & Thornicroft, G. (2013). Mental illness stigma, help seeking,
and public health programs. American journal of public health, 103(5), 777-780.