Author/Editor		Marušič, Andrej
Title		Med-kulturno izobraževanje na področju duševnega zdravja
Translated title		Cross-cultural mental health education
Type		članek
Source		In: Švab V, editor. Izobraževanje za spremembo. Zbornik Mednarodna konferenca o izobraževanju in preventivi na področju duševnega zdravja; 2004 maj 27-29; Nova Gorica. Ljubljana: ŠENT - Slovensko združenje za duševno zdravje,
Publication year		2004
Volume		str. 129-36
Language		slo, eng
Abstract		Mental health problems have great significance for all societies and al! age groups; they are a significant contributor to the burden of disease. The related loss of the quality of life can cause human suffering and disability and increase social exclusion and mortality. Further, stigma in relation to mental health contributes negatively to equality and societal inclusion. An important aspect of mental health was covered by Kleinman and Becker, when they presented the concept of sociosomatics as opposed to psychosomatics. According to this concept, the social context becomes integrated into mind and body understandings. Mind and body interactions are reframed as the mind and body in a social context. The direct impact of the social context on bodily or illness experience is expected: psychophysiological processes are shaped by social forces and patterns of symptoms are identified as local idioms of distress and cultural syndromes. This concept is indeed relevant for the cross-cultural understanding of mental health, including cross-cultural understanding of menta! health education. Mental health education is crucial in our planning to develop, implement and evaluate activities to prevent mental disorders and promote mental health, to allow access to treatment, the job market, education and other public services for the (re)integration of people with mental disorders into society, to enhance the visibility of mental health and to raise awareness of the real burden of mental disorders. We are only going to be effective in covering all of the tosks presented above if mental health education becomes cross-culturally specific. Cross-cultural views are relevant in every single element of the mental health education: should we educate the educators or educate directly?, should we focus on evidence-based or value-based mental health?, and so on.
Descriptors		MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL DISORDERS HEALTH EDUCATION EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY