In response to Neera Datta's request for the Canadian Health Network re:
10 Frequently asked questions about health and culture, I have one
related to mental health. In my work I have come across a lot of interest in
two questions:

1. How different cultures view what we called "mental illness".  (not only
how they treat people with mental illnesses, but how they understand
delusions, etc - i.e. as a spiritual thing, as a family problem, etc.)

2. How different cultures traditionally support/work with/ help to heal
people with "mental illnesses".

This is different from the question of how our (local, provincial, etc.)
mental health (i.e. mental illness) services can be more culturally
appropriate. What I hear people looking for is new ways to understand
and accept their own mental health problems or their family members'
problems, and wondering if other cultural traditions had something to
offer them.