Current Issues in Mental Health

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the biological vs. social and cultural perspectives of mental health, clearly emphasizing the social and cultural approach more so than the biological one, since current trends indicate that this is a key issue in the field of mental health today. The paper investigates mental illness primarily from the standpoint that mental illness may result from social and cultural factors more so than biological ones. However the paper also carefully provides a solid foundation for promoting both views and treatment approaches to mental illness in the attempt to better understand mental illness and its impact on society in general.

Current Issues in Mental Health: Examining Mental Illness From a Cultural
and Social Perspective
Introduction
Mental Illness as Biology?
Mental Illness from a Cultural Perspective
The Mind as Machine
The Use of Psychiatric Medications to Treat Illness
Duality of Disease
The Stigma of Mental Illness
Conclusions/Analysis
References

From the Paper:

"Wakefiled (1994) poses the question of whether or not the concept of a mental disorder might be culturally relative (Kirk & Einbinder, pp.11-17). He suggests that mental disorders may result more from cultural and social influences and factors than biological ones. His theory is based on the notion that people respond differently to different things based in part on their upbringing, surroundings and social environment. People also have the inherent capability of being conditioned to respond in a certain manner to certain things. What might be considered normal for one person in one culture may be considered aberrant behavior in another."

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