George, Evangeline A.

With the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, awareness of mental health and the mental health crisis increased sharply on the global stage. In some countries, strides have been made to understand and combat barriers that people encounter in recognizing and treating mental health problems. Some other countries have faced difficulties in this, including India. India has encountered particular challenges in the acceptance and expansion of mental health awareness and treatment. One driving factor may be stigma. Stigma has been found to vary in different cultures as it is influenced by the cultural climate of the community. When there are high levels of stigma, there is typically less identification and treatment of mental health concerns. Stigma is vital to understand and combat in the cultural setting. This thesis will explore the role of Indian culture on stigma and its effects on treatment.