I read a fascinating article recently that discussed the prevalence of depression within Western culture as compared to its occurrence within Eastern culture. There are many factors that contribute to depression including genetics, environment, stress, and certain medical conditions that affect hormone production, as well as many others which are quite, well, depressing actually. However, the article that I read had a different twist:

“Researchers say Western culture is more individualistic and more concerned with "me" while East Asian culture is more collectivistic and focused on "we."” (Sharon Jayson, www.usatoday.com)  The researchers postulate that even though genetic disposition for depression is higher among East Asian cultural groups as compared to Western cultural groups, the reason that the actual diagnosis of depression is lower in Eastern cultures is because there is greater value placed on group cohesion and harmony among individuals than there is in Western culture. This may explain a major problem that I have always had: the more I am alone, the worse I feel! I am a true extrovert, as most of you probably know, and I am energized by interaction with other people. Other members of my family, on the other hand, are introverts who need “alone” time to re-charge their spirits.  I also have a tendency to push for cooperation among groups, which sometimes gets me some dirty looks, as opposed to pointing out individual success (just ask the MCMC staff about my tendency to focus on team accomplishments and forget to thank individuals for their hard work).

Maybe I was supposed to live in an Eastern culture country; I am not sure. However, I do know that in the work that we do, cooperation is one of those keywords that we usually refer to when we are describing what it is that we do to a new audience. Remember the four “C’s?” Here is another quote from the article: “People who live in Western culture may get depressed more than those from East Asian culture because Westerners don't have the cultural support that can protect them from a genetic vulnerability to depression, suggests a new study from Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill.” I think this is very true and it is relevant to those of us who continue to work in the recovery effort and as a part of the MCMC project. The consortium model calls for individuals and agencies to work together on a common cause or purpose. Personally, I tend to start “getting the blues” when there is division among those who are critical to the accomplishment of the overall mission. I like to think that we are all continuing to work together, cooperatively and as a group, on behalf of the individual clients that we are serving. In other words, the individual client benefits from our collective efforts (making referrals to PHA’s for vouchers, seeking funding for home repairs, communicating with external partners for social service support, etc). Fascinating! And worth continuing, in my opinion. If we continue to keep our eyes on this vision, maybe none of us will suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) this season as the days get shorter and the temperatures start to drop. Have a great and harmonious rest of the week.

Stephen P Carr II, MA, MFT
Program Director