A research proposal on perceptions of mental health among multicultural rural communities of Louisiana, U.S.A.
This dissertation proposal proposes research which would explore perceptions of mental health and the origins of those perceptions in a multicultural community in rural Louisiana. The paper plans to combine primary research and the voices of interviewed subjects with psychological theory about race, rural community, and mental health, and hopes to create a balance between subjects’ personal views and psychological theory. The author intends to show that views of mental health are affected by culture, location, and media, and that discrimination against those unwell is widespread.
The labeling and discrimination against minorities, residents of certain geographical locations, specific age groups, ethnic or racial backgrounds, or generally those with discernible differences has long been noted. Mental illness is itself a disability which carries with it a stigma in many cultures. When someone has more than one visible difference – gender and race, or visible disability and age – the discriminations they face may in fact be doubled. What constitutes metal health or well-being also varies according to cultural, age, and social groups. In rural Louisiana, perceptions of what constitutes mental health varies widely according to age group, community, ethnic and racial background, personal history. I wish to conduct primary qualitative research which would not only define what these beliefs are, but also reveal how these definitions have been created and informed by factors as diverse as culture, age, geography, race, ethnicity, media exposure, religious beliefs and gender. In focusing both on beliefs and causes of perceptions about mental health, I hope to gain a better understanding of the conceptions in general.