Culture and mental health: Differences, barriers, and more

A person’s culture can influence their mental health in various ways, including how they express mental health symptoms and seek treatment.

Culture includes learned beliefs, values, and behaviors, and helps form an individual’s identity. Someone’s cultural background can affect how they experience and express mental health symptoms, and what treatments may benefit them the most.

Stigma and barriers to mental health care affect groups within some cultures more than others. This can reduce or prevent access to effective treatment.

This article looks at cultural differences in mental health, stigma across cultures, and systemic barriers that affect some communities’ access to mental health care. It also provides resources for support.

The mainstream research and practice of mental health, including psychology and psychiatry, are often rooted in Western cultural understandings and traditions.

However, the definitions of “typical” and “unusual” beliefs and behaviors can differ between cultures. A single approach to mental health can sometimes exclude the experiences of other cultures.

Culture can be an important aspect of mental health and can influence how a person perceives and seeks treatment for mental illness.

How a community perceives mental health can influence how its members experience and express mental illness.

For example, research suggests that some people in Latin and Hispanic communities view mental illness as shameful, and discussion of conditions like depression or anxiety as taboo. These types of perceptions can lead to stigma about mental health, which may discourage people from seeking treatment.

Cultural differences can also influence people’s beliefs about the causes of mental illness.

In traditional Chinese medicine, people may associate mental health symptoms with an imbalance between the opposing but interconnected forces, Yin and Yang. Ayurveda, a traditional Indian health practice, sometimes links mental illness to karma, or a product of someone’s actions.

Western cultural approaches to mental health often focus on one-on-one treatment for individuals and typically include medication and psychotherapy. This approach may not suit people of all cultures, especially if their therapist does not understand how a person’s culture and mental health intersect.

Some cultures may be more likely to avoid treatment or seek care outside of mainstream Western approaches. This includes alternative therapies such as:

Mental health stigma is common across many cultures. It can add additional strain to people with mental health problems and limit or prevent their access to effective care.

Some people may face stigma and discrimination for a variety of interconnected social factors, including their:

Negative attitudes or beliefs about people with mental health illnesses are prevalent in the U.S. and affect certain groups more than others.

For instance, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Asian Americans are less likely than other racial and ethnic groups to seek mental health treatment as a result of stigma and shame.

NAMI also suggests that pervasive mental health stigma in the Black, Hispanic, and Latin communities in the U.S. may dissuade people from seeking treatment.

“I would define my cultural background as being Black/African American. I’m 41, and a communications coach based in the Washington, DC area.

“Cultural attitudes have affected my mental health in that I’m very circumspect about who I discuss my mental health with. When I was going to therapy, I wasn’t very open about going with my extended family; I only shared that with certain people.

“On the flip side, my friends were incredibly supportive and I was very open with them about my mental health and going to therapy. That was a nice counterbalance to being pretty tight-lipped about it within my family.”

“I’m an African American woman with deep Texas roots, a Christian foundation that anchors me, and an introvert who’s learned that quiet power moves mountains.

“The mental health narrative in Black communities has been… let’s call it complicated. Growing up, I absorbed messages about being strong, pushing through, and showing grit. Mental wellness days? That was seen as weakness, not wisdom.

“Living in different cultural contexts showed me the stark contrasts. In New York, therapy was more normalized, almost trendy. In Canada, mental health was treated as healthcare — a revolutionary concept, right? But back in rural America, asking for help can still feel like admitting defeat.”

Systemic barriers prevent some groups from accessing effective care, which may contribute to mental health disparities in those communities.

A 2022 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that, despite similar rates of mental illness across different races and ethnicities in the U.S., the percentages of groups who received mental health treatment were as follows:

Comparatively, 56.1% of white people received mental health treatment.

“I was fortunate not to experience cultural barriers to getting therapy, but I think that’s because I wasn’t very open about it beyond certain people in my family. My friends were also incredibly supportive.

“When I was looking for a therapist, it was important for me to find an African American therapist who would have some knowledge of the culture and background and upbringing that I experienced as a child. That meant that I didn’t have to start from scratch in terms of the context of certain experiences or behaviors that were part of my family dynamic growing up.

“The first therapist I worked with was a Black man, and the second I worked with was a Black woman. Both of them were incredibly helpful in terms of also having perspectives that informed the therapeutic assistance they provided. If I hadn’t been able to find Black therapists, that definitely could’ve been a barrier.”

“In New York, access was easier, but […] finding a therapist or group who understood the unique pressures of being a Black woman, an introvert, and ambitious? Like searching for a unicorn in designer shoes. Too often, I found myself in sessions explaining my lived experience instead of processing it.

“Here in West Virginia, it’s a different kind of challenge. Fewer providers, longer distances, and the reality that many practitioners have never worked with someone who looks like me or understands my cultural reference points. The nearest […] might be a four-hour round trip to DC, which is doable for me, but near impossible for many here.

“The intersection of rural living and racial identity creates its own complexity. In small communities, confidentiality becomes a real concern. Everyone knows everyone, and the last thing you want is your mental health journey becoming coffee shop gossip.”

A person may want to talk with a doctor about accessing mental health services offered by those informed about how culture affects mental health and wellness.

“Be honest with yourself first and then be honest about who you want to work with.

“If you want to work with a woman, be honest about that. If you want to work with an LGBTQIA+ therapist, be honest about that. If you want to work with a therapist with a specific cultural background, then be honest about that.”

“Sometimes the perfect culturally matched therapist isn’t available, but someone who’s genuinely committed to learning and growing with you can be transformative. I’ve had excellent experiences with providers or services who didn’t share my background but came with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to do their own work.

“If you’re three sessions in and still explaining why certain comments feel microaggressive, that’s your cue to move on. Your healing time is precious — don’t waste it on someone who isn’t ready to meet you where you are.”

“The goal isn’t just finding someone who gets you, but someone who helps you get yourself even better.”

A person’s culture can affect their mental health in many ways, including how they experience, express, and seek help for mental illness. Groups within certain cultures are also more likely to experience mental health stigma and face barriers to effective care.

Seeking treatment from healthcare professionals informed about how culture can affect health and wellness can help people receive better, more beneficial mental health care.