Mental Health
Culture also plays a role in shaping attitudes, values, beliefs, opinions, and norms, which regulate behavior. The culture of which we are a part impacts our identity and even our beliefs about the nature of life.
The type of culture either individualistic or collective into which a person is born affects and influences what that person believes and how that person behaves. The experience and manifestation of mental illness are influenced by an individual’s social and cultural background. It can determine how individuals communicate their symptoms, influence their understanding of their illness, and determine the coping strategies they adopt and the type of interventions they seek.
Furthermore, a considerable segment of the population in African countries is vulnerable to mental illness due to psychosocial and socioeconomic stressors such as poverty, migration, war, conflict and disasters. Our goal at diaspora one Tikar is to build and strengthened the African immigrant communities in the twin cities through engagement initiatives, focusing on cultural education and heritage preservation.