Abstract
Most prior research on cultures of honor has focused on interpersonal aggression. The present studies examined the novel hypothesis that honor-culture ideology enhances the stigmatization of mental health needs and inhibits the use of mental health services. Study 1 demonstrated that people who strongly endorsed honor-related beliefs and values were especially concerned that seeking help for mental health needs would indicate personal weakness and would harm their reputations. Studies 2 and 3 showed that honor states in the U.S. South and West invested less in mental healthcare resources, compared with non-honor states in the North (Study 2), and that parents living in honor states were less likely than parents in non-honor states to use mental health services on behalf of their children (Study 3). Together, these studies reveal an overlooked consequence of honor ideology for psychological well-being at the individual, social, and institutional levels.
Highlights
Mental illness is associated in many cultures with a variety of negative stereotypes, including being dangerous, unpredictable, and weak
We examined the relationship between honor ideology and two dimensions of the stigmatization of mental healthcare (MHC) that have been identified in previous studies (Corrigan, 2004): personal concerns and social concerns
With respect to our focal analyses regarding honor ideology and concerns about MHC, there were no significant differences between men and women
Summary
Mental illness is associated in many cultures with a variety of negative stereotypes, including being dangerous, unpredictable, and weak. For women in such cultures, having honor primarily means being loyal and sexually chaste, strength and toughness may be of some importance (see Barnes, Brown, & Tamborski, 2012). Failure to fulfill these gender-specific ideals brings shame to oneself and to one’s family, which can be difficult or impossible to erase (Fischer, 1989; Peristiany, 1966; Vandello & Cohen, 2003; Wyatt-Brown, 1986). Lab experiments have likewise demonstrated that males from honor states exhibit different cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses to insults compared with males from other states, including increases in cortisol and testosterone, and a higher likelihood of engaging in aggressive and dominant behaviors (Cohen, Nisbett, Bowdle, & Schwarz, 1996)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
