Individualism a Risk Factor for Depression

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Findings from a survey of 6,082 individuals, designed to explore racial and ethnic differences in mental disorders, reinforce the relationship between social support and depression. The authors suggest a re-examination of “the individualistic models of treatment that are most evaluated in the United States. The lack of evidence-based data on support groups, peer counseling, family therapy, or other social support interventions may reflect a majority-culture bias toward individualism, which belies the extensive body of research on social support deficits as a major risk factor for depression.” The study appears in Ethnicity & Disease.

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Shim, R., Ye, J., et al; “Racial/ethnic disparities, social support, and depression: examining a social determinant of mental health.” Ethnicity & Disease, 22(1) 15-20

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Kermit Cole
Kermit Cole, MFT, founding editor of Mad in America, works in Santa Fe, New Mexico as a couples and family therapist. Inspired by Open Dialogue, he works as part of a team and consults with couples and families that have members identified as patients. His work in residential treatment — largely with severely traumatized and/or "psychotic" clients — led to an appreciation of the power and beauty of systemic philosophy and practice, as the alternative to the prevailing focus on individual pathology. A former film-maker, he has undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology from Harvard University as well as an MFT degree from the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia. Kermit leads workshops and webinars on the role of humor in psychotherapy and other human services. You can reach him at [email protected].

2 COMMENTS

  1. Very good point. One doesn’t need to be a different colour, just come from a different cultural background for this to be true. As someone coming from an East-European background, I found it very difficult to fit in the western culture and to accept its values which were totally different from those I had been brought up with. I felt like a fake trying to adapt to the society I was living in. You realise after a while that even a lot of well meaning people don’t understand and want to change you to fit their standards. I think I became depressed for a while until I accepted the fact: that we are different and it doesn’t matter.

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