This section draws together a range of sources that examine the role of culture in understanding and improving mental health and well-being.

Areas addressed in this section include:

• understanding mental health in the context of cultural diversity;
• the psychosocial wellness of refugees;
• the applicability of PTSD as a diagnostic tool for non-western clients;
• idioms of distress and culture-bound symptoms;
• the role of traditional healers as a pathway to support;
• spirituality as a coping mechanism;
• information on narrative therapy, testimony as a method of psychotherapy, and some complementary therapies; and
• research, case studies and toolkits
  
  

Some of the arguments presented within this section are highly contended within academic and clinical circles. The information provided is intended to give a balanced overview of areas of debate and interest. However, the paucity of online resources relating to cultural understandings of mental health and well-being has, on occasions, limited our ability to reflect adequately the complexity and range of opinion in this field. Where possible, we have drawn up a bibliography of materials that are not available online in order to give you the opportunity to examine in more depth the topics covered in this section.

All resources are arranged in date order with the latest articles appearing first. We hope that you will find this information useful. Please contact us if you have additional information you would like to see available on this site.