Citation

Brown RP, Imura M, Mayeux L. Person. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 2014; 40(9): 1119-1131.

Affiliation

The University of Oklahoma, Norman, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0146167214536741

PMID

24854479

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.

Language: en