Schizophrenia, recovery and the individual-cultural considerations

The concept of recovery in mental health has been embraced by many services across the world. Placing the individual (self) at the core of service delivery constituted a profound shift from service-driven models of care. However, cultures described as individualistic or collectivist may hold very different views of individuality. In cultures with collectivist orientation, the notion of 'individualism' is integrated into the structure and dynamics of the family. The families in such cultures play a major and lifetime role in caring for its members, making decisions and acting in consideration of the welfare of all. The needs and priorities of individuals, especially women, may be superseded by those of their families. This commentary is on the effect of culture on the identity of self in the recovery process and its relevance to mental health care.

In multicultural societies like Australia that include Indigenous people, the process of acculturation may be different. For the Indigenous people, the shift was from a collectivist culture to one that was predominantly individualistic. In the provision of recovery-oriented mental health care, there needs to be an awareness of the cultural variations in the relational dynamics of individualism.