From zen to stigma: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and their cross-cultural links to mental health

Abstract

Stigma remains a significant barrier preventing individuals from seeking the support they need, particularly for individuals with East Asian heritages. To explore potential mechanisms, this study examined links from East Asian ideologies to mental health help-seeking attitudes and peace of mind across five cultural groups: 322 respondents in China, 400 in Japan, 362 in Taiwan, 319 Asian Americans, and 688 white Americans. The three teachings of East Asia accounted for 31%–85% of the cross-cultural differences in mental health attitudes and peace of mind. Empowering Confucian tenets (self-cultivation, leading by example, and human heartedness), Taoism, and Buddhism all uniquely predicted greater peace of mind across most of the groups. Empowering Confucianism also predicted lower mental health stigma whereas Buddhism predicted greater stigma. Finally, Restrictive Confucian tenets (e.g., interpersonal harmony, propriety, and relational hierarchy) predicted greater stigma and lower peace of mind. Implications for addressing stigma/resistance within treatment and for promoting mental health across cultures are discussed.