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Assessment and Comparison of Culturally Based Explanations for Mental Disorder Among Singaporean Chinese Youth

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  • Mathew Mathews

    (Department of Sociology, 11 Arts Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117695, socmathe@nus.edu.sg)

Abstract

Background: Culture is important to how populations understand the cause of mental disorder, a variable that has implications for treatment-seeking behaviour. Asian populations underutilize professional mental health treatment partly because of their endorsement of supernatural causation models to explain mental disorders, beliefs that stem from their religious backgrounds. Aims: This study sought to understand the dimensions of explanatory models used by three groups of Singaporean Chinese youth ( n = 842) — Christian, Chinese religionist, no religion — and examined their responses to an instrument that combined explanations from psychological and organic perspectives on mental disorder with approaches from Asian and Western religious traditions. Results: Factor analysis revealed five factors. Two were psychological corresponding to the humanistic and cognitive-behavioural perspectives respectively. Another two, which were supernatural in nature, dealt with karmaic beliefs popular among Asian religionists and more classical religious explanations common in monotheistic religions. The remaining factor was deemed a physiological model although it incorporated an item that made it consistent with an Asian organic model. Conclusion: While groups differed in their endorsement of supernatural explanations, psychological perspectives had the strongest endorsement among this population. Regression analysis showed that individuals who endorsed supernatural explanations more strongly tended to have no exposure to psychology courses and heightened religiosity.

Suggested Citation

  • Mathew Mathews, 2011. "Assessment and Comparison of Culturally Based Explanations for Mental Disorder Among Singaporean Chinese Youth," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 57(1), pages 3-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:57:y:2011:i:1:p:3-17
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764008096853
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lott, John R, Jr, 1990. "An Explanation for Public Provision of Schooling: The Importance of Indoctrination," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(1), pages 199-231, April.
    2. Kenneth Fung & Yuk-Lin Renita Wong, 2007. "Factors Influencing Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Help Among East and Southeast Asian Immigrant and Refugee Women," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 53(3), pages 216-231, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew Found & Carlos Duarte, 2013. "The etiology of mental disorders: Public endorsement of traditional Chinese beliefs in Macau," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 59(8), pages 789-800, December.

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