To wonder Why some poorer Asian countries seem to have “better” mental health than richer European countries

[Aqus]

I have travelled extensively in Asia especially South east and have noticed people tend to have little financially but better mental health while it seems opposite in rich countries in Europe and US.
I always wonder why that is? I think one of the factors is their culture about families supporting each other and concept of big families and extended family being there to support in bringing up children and looking after elderly. Another factor seems like sunshine and weather.
What are your thoughts on this?

Meant to say, less culture of materialism, entitlement and greed.

A lot of it will be to do with how mental health is defined or given credence to in different countries/cultures. There will be lots of people in these countries who have live in comparatively worse conditions measured by every metric but are much happier, or at least less discontent and overly introspective.

How do you 'notice' an entire nation's mental health?

You haven’t travelled much in Pakistan then have you? Find me a genuinely happy woman living in poverty.

under-reporting of MH issues in many developing countries, not nearly enough doctors and MH specialists

also "saving face" as a hugely important part of the culture means people are less likely to report or seek help for MH issues

I am a second gen immigrant from one such poor country and the support I have got from my parents has been incredible. And the support other family members get. Having said that, such family support and very high expectations - excelling in education, no smoking or drinking or sex- would be seen as controlling by most here.
And it goes both ways. I will be moving my mum in with me in the future. My dad died in his own home. That would be unacceptable to many.

This is true. Poverty is very over romanticised. The family steps in because there is no help from the state.

There are hardly any welfare benefits so able bodied men and women have to work, there is no pension in India so you see a lot of elderly working, or being supported by their children. Also some countries don’t report poor mental health.

Hierarchy of needs, if you preoccupied with daily survival, you don't have too much time or energy to over-analyse.

What you didn’t see behind closed doors @Aqus

There are theories that because people in the west have more time to sit around and think the brain makes stuff up basically.

Because some countries just get on with life and are happy with what they do have not worry about what they dont?

Korea has famously shit mental health

Japan has death through overwork and hikimori (young adults who game and never leave their room)

China is stripping back it’s curriculum because it’s teens are over anxious and not getting enough sleep.

travelling is not the same as living there

There are also no benefits for people in poor mental health. Either you work or are supported by your family.

Can you back up what you're saying with a few statistics OP?

I can't see how you can have any insight into a nation's mental health after a bit of travelling?

I would be interesting to know though.

Only talking about China here as I have friends who regularly visit, and they work with a number of Chinese people but there it’s because they prioritise time outside, good food, friends, family and hobbies and we prioritise wealth, acquiring more wealth, time indoors, screens, junk food and we’ve lost community, family and talking.

Stats won't be reliable as poor mental health is not widely reported or tracked.

In these countries very few people will not work for example due to poor mental health. They will slog on. Sadly family support has been dwindling over the years and it won’t be long before it is similar to the west. My grandparents life in a third world country was vastly different to my aunties and uncles now. People are more lonely etc as their kids live abroad and everyone is too busy

So the OP couldn't possibly know what their talking about 😳

I have never met such a wealth and status obsessed, dramatic and manipulative culture as that of the Indian sub continent. I say this a British pakistani. Everything is about what will neighbours think and your social standing. I've seen disability, mental health hidden as it would affect marriage chances of the person and wider family.

That's true often, but I am still very glad for the support of my family, culture and community. I wasn't always but now I am, after the ups and downs of life.

They value community in a vastly superior way. We pay people who do the opposite (sales, marketing etc) more than care roles and things that involve community. No brainer that ends up with everyone chasing money and depressed because they need more to keep up with the Joneses. We stopped properly funding mental health care when Cameron began austerity.

Because children are brought up with very little and learn from an early age that only hard work will mean their survival.

They don’t all have phones yet -when they do they will all go the same way as us

The Chinese students I've encountered in the UK seem to have significantly higher rates of poor mental health than home students. In many Chinese universities it seems to be compulsory to take a module on "mental health of college students" - I've seen a lot of transcripts when doing admissions for postgraduate courses here, and noted this. I'd love to know the background to this.

Maybe because if you do have these issues you simply don't survive?