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Just as individuals express and experience emotions in their own way, many cultures have diverse ways of expressing and experiencing those emotions. As a nurse practitioner, it is important to understand that there may be different cultural norms, what the client’s culture considers normal and therefore abnormal, not only in the way emotions are expressed, but how the patient may interact with the healthcare provider, the treatments that may be used, and even the acceptance of a diagnosis (Andrews et al., 2020). The World Health Organization (WHO) (2024). defines mental health as “…a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.” I find this definition pliable and encompassing enough to allow flexibility in the expression of mental distress within the patient’s culture.

Andrews et al. (2020) describes many of the same subjective “feelings” or “symptoms” of mental distress and shows that they are felt in various locations and in various cultures throughout the world. However, the way they are described and experienced varies. Some examples of similarities include anxiety in the Japanese “taijin kyofusho,” Zimbabwe “kufungisisa” and an “ataque de nervios” in various Latino populations. Each of these cultures, and more, have feelings and emotions that would perhaps make them feel outside of the WHO description of mental health. It is imperative that those attempting to treat and help members of diverse cultures recognize the similarities and differences to exact change in a client.

I believe this begins with first assessing one’s own cultural awareness and cultural humility. Even things as simple as using certain words and phrases to define or express symptoms can be helpful or detrimental to a therapeutic relationship, especially when dealing in new cultures. Luckily, there are programs and information out there to assist healthcare professionals become more aware and educated of these and other differences. The USDHHS provides various e-learning programs for nurses and nursing students that can help increase their competency when dealing with clients of other cultures (n.d.).

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