Research Proposal: Exploring Mental Health Issues in Cuba

This research proposal investigates the pressing issue of mental health in Cuba, examining the increasing prevalence of mental illnesses within the Cuban population and the challenges the healthcare system faces. It begins by outlining the problem, which includes a lack of reliable evidence on the sources of mental health problems, the impact of stigma, and the shortage of resources. The proposal sets out aims and objectives to understand the state of mental health care, identify challenges, and recommend strategies for improvement. Key research questions explore the relationship between social and economic factors and mental illness, as well as the barriers to accessing mental health care. The significance of the study lies in addressing the need for improved mental health policies and strategies in Cuba, considering the impact of social and economic factors, and the lack of resources. The literature review highlights the influence of social and economic factors, drawing on studies from the Caribbean and Brazil. The proposal emphasizes the need for further research due to the lack of literature specifically from Cuba, aiming to address this gap and understand the unique challenges within the region. The study will contribute to understanding the barriers faced in providing appropriate mental health care facilities in Cuba.

Running Head: MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN CUBA 1
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN CUBA
Research Proposal
Student Name:
Student Number

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................3
1.1 Problem statement............................................................................................................3
1.2 Aims and Objectives of Study..........................................................................................4
1.3 Research question.............................................................................................................4
1.4 Significance of Study.......................................................................................................4
2. Literature Review...............................................................................................................5
2.1 Gaps in Literature.............................................................................................................6
3. References...........................................................................................................................7

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1. Introduction
The global community observed that mental health is fundamental to human evolution and
has been critical in determining physical health conditions, wellbeing and socio-economic
consequences. There have been increasing concerns regarding the growing prevalence of
mental illness among individuals within the Caribbean regions, especially in Cuba (Brown &
Bodden, 2017). Exploring various literature and data reveals that the Cuban health-care
system faces the biggest challenge in the health arising from lack of access to technology and
pharmaceuticals. The following paper will conduct a review of the literature focusing on the
significant increase in mental illnesses in Cuban societies.
1.1 Problem statement
Regardless of the higher level of understanding of the increasing rate of mental illnesses,
there has been a shortage of reliable evidence in facilitating the understanding of possible
sources of these problems. Just as related nations, Caribbean territories tend to elucidate that
‘stigma’ has been linked to mental illness. APA has sent three groups of psychologists to
Cuba to learn regarding the position that psychology holds in the country’s integrated health-
care system. As stated above the Cuban health-care system faces the biggest challenge due
to lack of access to technology and pharmaceuticals. Low salaries of healthcare professionals
are another major problem. Due to these several problems facing, Cubans are not able to
receive adequate facilities in mental health care, which is the underlying problem that will be
studied in this research.

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1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Study
This research aims at exploring the several factors impacting mental health care in Cuban
society.
The following will be the objectives of this study; Research Objective 1: To understand the state of the art of the mental health care
system prevalent in Cuba Research Objective 2: To understand the challenges faced in the delivery of
appropriate mental health care in Cuba Research Objective 3: To recommend strategies which will enable adapting
appropriate mental health care in Cuba
1.3 Research question
To attain the above research objectives, the following research questions will need to be
explored.
o Research Question 1: What is the affiliation of Social and Economic elements to
mental illnesses amongst populaces in Cuba?
o Research Question 2: What are the major barriers to receiving mental health care in
Cuba?
1.4 Significance of the Study
There has been found a combination of cultural, social and political reasons to explain
factors that led mental health conditions to be disregarded in the Caribbean territories,
especially in Cuba. Civil stigmatization and ‘taboo’ remain to be the leading issues
concerning Mental health issues in the Caribbean territories and to overcome is an

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essentiality of cultural change. The chosen research question is of great significance as
Caribbean regions require improving their mental health policies and strategies to lessen the
impact of social and economic factors on the increasing prevalence of mental illnesses
(Tenório, Costa-Moura & Bianco, 2017). There has been a significant lack of resources and
lesser treatment centers with the equipped workforce, which has led social stigma related to
mental health issues remain as an obstacle to individuals who seek for healthcare services
(Brown & Bodden, 2017). It is important to note that stigma against the mentally ill
populaces have been observed to be highly pervasive and has been expressed by health care
professionals and policymakers.
The significance of this research will lie in determining the major barriers to mental health
care in Cuba. The findings of this research will enable the government of the country to
review the importance of the matter and bring changes in the barriers faced to provide
appropriate mental health care facilities in Cuba.
2. Literature Review
Social and economic factors are considered as vital determinants of health conditions. In
the study of Lacey, Sears, Crawford, Matusko, and Jackson (2016), a multistage probability
analysis has been organized on heads of families in Caribbean country Guyana whereby
reduced odds of depressions amongst more educated participants have been found.
Considering the average high poverty rates, it has been expected that several individuals
living in Caribbean countries possibly will experience higher pressure of morbidity as well as
early mortality. On the other hand, Mascayano, Tapia, Schilling, Alvarado & Tapia et al.
(2016) by drawing insights from the previous study have hypothesized modified ‘labeling
theory’ which elucidates the process by which stigmatization of mental illnesses tends to

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occur. Furthermore, the results of Brazilian studies related to stigma from clinical experts
exhibited an unconstructive attitude towards individuals suffering from mental illness. It has
been found that in comparison to healthcare professionals from Switzerland, Brazilian
clinical professionals have been promoting less social distance and more positive attitudes
(Tenório, Costa-Moura & Bianco, 2017). At this juncture, in Brazil, ideologies and social
values regarding mental illnesses are prevalent and Christians being primary religion which
tends to serve decisively to ameliorate mental disorders (Sancho & Larkin, 2020). Similar
views have been shared by (Brown & Bodden, 2017) who have found that the disadvantaged
socioeconomic groups tend to typically vulnerable to social issues.
2.1 Gaps in Literature
Though there are several kinds of literature present in regarding mental health in the
various Caribbean region, there is a lack of such literature from the Cuba region. Hence this
study will aim at exploring such a gap in the literature to understand mental healthcare
challenges prevalent in the Cuban region.

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3. References
Brown, C. M., & Bodden, A. J. (2017). An Examination Of Mental Health Treatment In The
Caribbean: the Current State Of Treatment And Future Directions. The Caribbean in a
Changing World: Surveying the Past, Mapping the Future, Volume 1, 1, 231.
Lacey, K. K., Sears, K. P., Crawford, T. V., Matusko, N., & Jackson, J. S. (2016).
Relationship of social and economic factors to mental disorders among population-based
samples of Jamaicans and Guyanese. BMJ open, 6(12), e012870. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-
2016- 012870
Mascayano, F., Tapia, T., Schilling, S., Alvarado, R., Tapia, E., Lips, W., & Yang, L. H.
(2016). Stigma toward mental illness in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic
review. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 38(1), 73-85. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-
2015-1652
Sancho, T. N., & Larkin, M. (2020). “We need to slowly break down this barrier”:
understanding the barriers and facilitators that Afro-Caribbean undergraduates perceive
towards accessing mental health services in the UK. Journal of Public Mental Health.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-12-2019-0099
Tenório, F., Costa-Moura, F., & Bianco, A. C. L. (2017). Psychiatry’s clinical tradition,
psychoanalysis and current practices in mental health. Psicologia USP, 28(2), 206.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0103-656420150125