The Use of Culturally Appropriate Representations of Distress in the Treatment of Mental Illness

Abstract

This qualitative study compares the experiences of men who conceptualized theirdistress in cultural or religious terms (Al-Krenawi & Graham, 1999; Dein, Alexander, & Napier, 2008) and sought relevant treatments with the experiences of men who were treated for mental illness by psychiatrists. Using grounded theory methodology (Fassinger 2005), results indicate that men who represented their distress in cultural or religious terms were not stigmatized and were instead treated with sympathy. They were therefore able to express their distress and seek help rather than resort to avoidant and selfdestructive behaviors typical of men suffering from mental illness (Brownhill, Wilhelm, Barclay & Schmied, 2005; Chuick et. al., 2009). Moreover, shifting the cause of dysfunctional behavior to external entities enabled them to transcend typical gender role socialization that emphasizes stoicism and autonomy (Sheppard, 2002) and allowed the expression of weakness and vulnerability.