Grant: CIHR New Investigator

East Asians in Canada are often stereotyped as a model minority, with few psychosocial difficulties. The reality is that mental health problems in this population are underestimated and often treated inadequately. This problem has serious implications, both for the health of East Asian Canadians and also for the social and economic well-being of the country. Recent research in East Asia and Canada has demonstrated that Euro-Canadians are more likely to present psychological symptoms such as depressed mood, whereas East Asians are more likely to present somatic symptoms such as fatigue. As a result, Western-trained clinicians in Canada are more likely to under-diagnose depression, with consequences for treatment and for the prospects of recovery. What is not clear, at present, is why these cultural differences are observed. This project aspires to go beyond simple descriptions of cultural variation in an effort to unpack the underlying reasons for these different symptom emphases. In particular, these studies will examine the ways in which cultural values, beliefs, and assumptions shape one's focus of thinking - either internally, on one's on thoughts and feelings or externally, on other people and on social groups. Focus of thinking, in turn, is thought to influence the symptoms that depressed individuals focus on and find most distressing. Understanding the reasons why East Asians and Euro-Canadians tend to emphasize different symptoms while depressed will not only improve the ability of Canadian clinicians to conduct more accurate assessments of depression in East Asians, but will also help us to develop culturally-sensitive therapies. The result will be quicker and more effective intervention, reducing the burden of depression on the patient, the family, and Canadian society as a whole.