Kwegyir Tsiboe A, Raghuraman S, Marshall TC. Caught between two worlds: mental health literacy and stigma among bicultural youth.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being 2024;
19:2321644. [PMID:
38431901 PMCID:
PMC10911255 DOI:
10.1080/17482631.2024.2321644]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE
Bicultural youths are at higher risk of mental health problems and are less likely to utilize mental health services, yet our knowledge of their mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviours remains limited.
METHODS
To fill this gap, the current study explored bicultural youths' mental health literacy and stigma by conducting semi-structured interviews with 14 Canadian university students in 2021.
RESULTS
Our analysis revealed that bicultural youths may be torn between two worlds: intergenerational tensions between participants assimilated into individualistic Canadian culture and their more collectivist parents meant that they had different cultural perceptions of mental health literacy and stigma. While being caught between these two worlds may be detrimental for bicultural youth, our results also suggested that a trans-cultural factor-celebrities' mental health journeys-may promote help-seeking behaviour across participants. Furthermore, our study speaks to the ways that unprecedented events such as the COVID-19 pandemic impact mental health literacy among bicultural youth. Our findings might be used by university mental health services to encourage help-seeking among bicultural students.
CONCLUSION
The acculturation of mental health literacy, stigma, and associated intergenerational differences needs to be considered by university wellness services.
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