In Asia, people tend to look at mental illness negatively. Compared to Western countries, people in Asia tend to see people with mental illness as dangerous people who should be kept out of the community (Lauber, 2007). Take Hong Kong for example, I visit Hong Kong every summer and as I walk around the city, I notice people who would talk to themselves, and yell at strangers. It is evident that they are in need of some professional help from psychologists or psychiatrists. However, in Hong Kong it is harder to receive mental health treatments as compared to other Western societies. Individuals who have mental illnesses are also less likely to seek help. As mentioned by Lauber, a study in Hong Kong was done and they found that only 30% of the general population and 50-60% of the affected individuals family considered certain symptoms as the result of mental illness. The results show that the awareness to get help for mental illness is alarmingly low. In my opinion I think this has to do with cultural differences and the perception of mental illness. Many people in Asia perceive mental illness to be incurable, thus they do not support individuals living with mental illness. However, we know that individuals who are suffering from mental illness do require lots of support from their family and friends. Furthermore, people in Asia who do not seek help generally have financial difficulties thus it is harder for them to receive proper treatment. Another reason why people do not seek help is because they are scared of how others will see them and label them. Hong Kong is a great city in my opinion, but a lot of work still has to be done in educating people about mental illnesses. Hopefully one day, Hong Kong can raise more awareness about mental health and give proper treatments to those who need it and are unable to access it.
Written by Vivian Tse
Source:
Int Rev Psychiatry. 2007 Apr;19(2):157-78.