Clinicians and medical practitioners have conducted numerous researchers that seek to understand how cultural variations influence the constellation of symptoms associated with depression as highlighted the International Classification of Diseases. There is a strong debate of whether different cultures experience the feelings of emptiness, helplessness and loss on a universal measure. It is unclear whether the social implications associated with the symptoms of depression are the same across all individuals. Every culture is associated with specific aspects of moods that are shaped by the cultural environments that affect human function and dysfunction. With this understanding, people will understand effective interventions that can be applied in dissimilar cultural contexts to treat depression. The paper will candidly and comprehensively address the cultural variations in the expression of depression within the society.
For instance, the depression prevalence rates in the United States are different. The minorities groups (Blacks, Hispanics, Latinos, American Indians, and African Americans) are reported to have high prevalence rates of depression compared to the whites. The notable differences in the rates are attributed to the cultural variations experienced by the ethnic groups. Most members of the minority groups find it difficult to afford the necessities of life. As a result, they are stressed because they are unable to afford good shelter, education, and better healthcare (Dunlop et al., 2003). They are also believed to have a low self-esteem, a factor that depreciates their healthy condition. Due to the harsh environment they experience, they are forced to participate in criminal activities and drug abuse that makes them prone to develop depression disorders. On the other hand, the whites are proud of their culture, they afford most of the things they require, and this reduces depression rates in this cohort.
Western culture concentrates on positive emotions and feeling good about the self. Therefore, individuals exposed to a depressed mood and decreased self-esteem appears abnormal in these cultures. For the cultures that perceive individuals as interdependent characters, there is a high probability that the feelings of depression will be associated with interpersonal disturbances. According to the Center for Disease control, the place of residence is a risk factor for depression. This is because it impacts on other factors that contribute to depression like access to education, healthcare, and employment. The ethnic races that live in Alabama, West Virginia, and Mississippi, have higher chances of developing depression. Contrariwise, those who live in Alaska, North Dakota, and Minnesota have low rates of depression.
A research conducted with a sample of 176 European Americans, 357 Japanese Americans, 209 and, Native Hawaiians (NH) demonstrated evidence that cultural variations determine the rate probability of developing depression across different races (Kanazawa, White, & Hampson, 2007). Emotional regulation is a cultural variation that influences the development of depression. For instance, positive affect was found to be lower in Japanese Americans than in European Americans. The results also indicated that European Americans developed a lower positive affect than made them develop negative affect and somatic disturbances responsible for high depression rates across the ethnic group (Kanazawa, White, & Hampson, 2007). In these three ethnic groups, depression rates could be attributed to the utilization of mental health care that determined whether an individual was a subject to stressful events in life. When these results are combined, it is evident that cultural variations influence the symptoms that cause depression. Therefore, cultural beliefs and practices play a major role in determining whether individuals will develop complications associated with depression.
References
Dunlop, D. D., Song, J., Lyons, J. S., Manheim, L. M., & Chang, R. W. (2003). Racial/ethnic differences in rates of depression among preretirement adults. American Journal of Public Health, 93(11), 1945-1952.
Kanazawa, A., White, P. M., & Hampson, S. E. (2007). Ethnic variation in depressive symptoms in a community sample in Hawaii. Cultural diversity and ethnic minority psychology, 13(1), 35.
