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Mental Illness Sociology

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According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, mental illness is simply a health condition that has the ability to affect one 's emotions, thought process and, or behavior overall. There are many variables as to whether or not someone may have, or develop overtime, a mental illness. These factors include one 's genetics, basic brain structures, environmental, and lifestyle influences, a stressful job, and perhaps even traumatic events (NAMI, n.d.). Native Indians had their own myths and beliefs about the causes of mental illnesses, most of which differed from the research and findings of western professionals. In addition to their own realities about the causes, many of the past natural-born Indians, had strong beliefs about how one …show more content…

Results from a study show that many misconceptions are less common in the urban areas and among medical professionals, compared to the countryside and farming areas. Mental disorders were believed to have come from loss of semen or vaginal secretion, according to 33.9% of the rural population, 8.6% of the urban, and 1.3% of health care professionals. God 's punishment for one’s past sins was another reason believed by 39.6% of rural people, 20.7% of urban, and 5.2% of the professionals. In addition 34.8% of the rural subjects and 18% of the urban subjects believed children do not get mental disorders; this could mean that they have the idea that people cannot be born with a mental disorder, and that only those that have reached adulthood may have them (Kishore, Gupta, Jiloha, & Bantman, 2011). In the hopes that mental health awareness may be improved, the creators of this study stated that there needs to be more education in India; to create a positive attitude towards all disorders or handicaps, and encourage health seeking behavior. This is especially true for the people and families who do not believe that mental disorders exist, as well as who have an existing problem but seek ineffective remedies. This information allows one to see how the indigenous Indians currently view mental illness. Many misconceptions have been passed down through generations and have become the social norm and explanation for mental health issues. Because of European involvement India has grown to think differently about mental illness from the early stages of Hinduism throughout the post colonial era in

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