Table 2.

Traditional beliefs and behaviors relating to mental health

Culture	Beliefs	Coping behaviors and treatments
Chinese	Mental illness caused by lack of harmony of emotions or by evil spirits	Often try traditional herbs and acupuncture first; healers may be usedconcurrently to get rid of evil spirits
Japanese	Mental illness caused by evil spirits; often thought not to be real illness	Delay or avoid seeking professional help; many will use traditional sources ofcare
Korean	Mental illness caused by disruption of harmony within individual or byancestral spirit coming back to haunt patient because of past bad behavior;result of bad luck or misfortune; payback for something done wrong in thepast; is considered shameful	May deny problems, resulting in helplessness and depression; not likely toreveal the problem unless asked; may show signs through nonverbalcommunication and posture; may use shamanism
Vietnamese	Depression is sadness	Not readily acknowledged because of stigma; usually try home remedies,spiritual consultations, or Chinese herbs before seeking Western medical care;some use of exorcists; seek help only when problems become acute or obvious;family members try to cheer up or distract the patient

Source: Lipson JG, Dibble SL, Minarik PA. Culture and Nursing Care: APocket Guide. San Francisco, CA: UCSF Nursing Press; 1996.