Mental Health Literacy and Help-Seeking Behavior Among Asians: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Mental health problems are a rising global issue yet the number of people seeking help is astonishingly low. Several factors were identified as contributing to poor help-seeking behavior (HSB), including the role of religious culture and stigmatization on mental health issues. This review aims to explore the role of religious culture in mental health literacy (MHL) and HSB among Asians, along with the effectiveness of MHL interventions, and the integration of Islamic teachings into clinical therapy for Muslim patients. A scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guideline. We searched for articles from the following database: Cochrane Library, Frontiers Journals, JSTOR, MedlinePlus, Psychiatry Online, PubMed, SAGE Journals Online, Semantic Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SpringerLink, The Lancet and Wiley Online Library. A total of 60 articles in English, both quantitative and qualitative were reviewed. Overall, MHL among Asians were found to be relatively low compared to non-Asians, and low MHL is commonly associated with poor HSB. Other factors associated with HSB included cultural and religious beliefs, stigma, financial barriers and education levels. It was also evident that MHL interventions were effective in promoting positive HSB. Islamically-integrated methods of therapy have also demonstrated positive outcomes to the Muslims patients. Focus of interventions designed to cater for mental health issues should be placed on developing appropriate strategies in enhancing HSB besides improving MHL. Taking religion and culture into consideration when handling these issues would be of great help for successful preventive interventions.