Date
3-10-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Gilbert Ernest Franco
Keywords
Community, Cultural Beliefs, Haitians, Mental Health, Perception, Stigma
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Jean-Baptiste, Luther-King, "Cultural Influences on Mental Health Help-Seeking: A Comparative Study of Haiti and the United States" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7974.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7974
Abstract
Mental health stigma and help-seeking behaviors vary across cultural contexts and are shaped by shared beliefs, values, and social expectations. This qualitative study examined how cultural meaning systems influenced mental health help-seeking behaviors in Haiti and the United States. Using surveys and semi-structured interviews, data were collected from 30 participants (15 from each country) who reported a history of psychological distress or mental health challenges. Findings indicated that help-seeking behaviors were not determined solely by symptom severity but were embedded within cultural, relational, spiritual, and structural frameworks. In Haiti, help-seeking was largely collective and shaped by family validation, community norms, and spiritual interpretations of distress, which often delayed engagement with professional care until suffering was socially recognized as legitimate. Stigma was closely tied to fears of social exclusion and moral judgment, reinforcing reliance on informal and faith-based supports. In contrast, participants in the United States more often described help-seeking as an individual process linked to functional impairment in work, relationships, or daily life; however, cultural and religious expectations still influence stigma, trust in providers, and perceptions of readiness for care, particularly among immigrant and faith-based participants. Across both contexts, structural barriers including cost, insurance coverage, provider availability, and concerns about documentation shaped whether and how participants translated distress into sustained engagement with mental health services. Overall, the findings demonstrate that mental health help-seeking is a culturally mediated process shaped by collective meaning, moral expectations, and structural conditions, underscoring the need for culturally responsive and contextually grounded mental health care.
