Ethnic Disparities in Understanding of Mental Health

The social cultural perspective defines how different individuals interact with their social groups and the way these social groups exert influence on those individuals. The individual develops ideas and values throughout their lives with their childhood being their most critical stage of understanding. The social group may consist of any group that an individual belongs to or associates with. The individual may be a part of different social groups including racial groups, religious groups, gender groups and many more. According to the social cultural perspective all the groups that an individual belongs to will hold influence over their future. Gaining an understanding of the extent of influence held by social groups allows one to fully understand what the individual will do. It provides knowledge on the behaviors of an individual as influenced by a specific social group.