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I think our discussion about culture added an interesting new dimension to our larger discussion of mental illnesses as it brought into perspective factors of mental health that are beyond the individual. It was interesting to think of culture as the source of mental illness. I believe that mental illnesses do have a biological basis, however, I also believe that culture can act to exacerbate any underlying mental conditions. As shown in the example of Hong Kong and anorexia, media/culture plays a huge role in determining what people know and how they think about themselves—including how they think about their current state of health. Culture defines and makes people more sensitive to any deviations they may display from the societal norm, and this hypersensitivity can exacerbate the symptoms they display. This is why I wonder if depression levels are as high or depression symptoms are as severe in societies that have not placed an emphasis on or have never heard of this condition.

The labels that cultures give mental illness and how these labels strictly compartmentalize a set of behaviors as being indicative of an illness also increase the stigma against mental illness. Like Professor Grobstein mentioned, these labels emphasize how these people are different from the rest of society, and the fear of the different/unknown is what I believe fuels the stigma against mental illness. However, at the same time, I feel that labels are necessary to define illness in order to make them “legitimate” conditions that require treatment and research. Labels, while separating people as being different, at the same time give them the recognition that they have a medical condition that is not a sign of weakness or something that can be changed on their own. Thus, while I agree that it is entirely wrong to define a person by a mental health label, these labels are needed to treat and, in a sense, legitimize a condition.