Cultural identity, clothing and common mental disorder: a prospective school-based study of white British and Bangladeshi adolescents

Abstract

Objective: Cultural integration is the healthiest outcome for young people living in multicultural societies. This paper investigates the influence of different cultural identities on the risk of common mental disorders among Bangladeshi and white British pupils. Design: The cultural identity of 11-14-year-old school pupils was assessed by their preferences for friends and clothes of their own or other cultural groups; using this information pupils were classified into traditional, integrated, assimilated or marginalised groups. We undertook prospective analyses of cultural identity and its impacts on the later mental health of young people. Setting: East London. Participants: In 2001, white British (573) and Bangladeshi (682) school pupils from a representative sample of schools completed a self-report questionnaire that assessed their cultural, social and health characteristics. In 2003, 383 white British and 517 Bangladeshi pupils were resurveyed and completed measures of mental health. Main outcome measure: Strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Results: Bangladeshi pupils preferring clothes from their own cultural group (traditional clothing) were less likely to have later mental health problems when compared with Bangladeshi pupils showing an equal preference for clothing from their own and other cultures (integrated clothing; odds ratio (OR) 0.3, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9). In gender-specific analyses, this finding was sustained only among Bangladeshi girls (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.7). Integrated clothing choices were least risky only for white British adolescents. Friendship choices showed no prospective associations with later mental health problems. Conclusions: Cultural identity, expressed by clothing preferences, influences mental health; the effects differ by gender and ethnic group.Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of mental health problems.

At the crossroads of anthropology and epidemiology: Current research in cultural psychiatry in the UK

“…To date there is a dearth of data concerning how ethic minority groups use religious coping in the context of distress. Bhui, King, Dein, and O’Connor (2008) undertook a large public health study of six ethnic groups in the UK in the EMPIRIC study. A qualitative component comprised 116 people.…”

Understanding the effect of ethnic density on mental health: multi-level investigation of survey data from England

“…28 People may not define themselves as being in the same ethnic group over time, 29 so self ascribed ethnicity should be viewed as a proxy for how people view their membership of an ethnic grouping 28 30 and does not necessarily tap into notions of "cultural identity." 28 Recent research has, for example, suggested that cultural practices associated with cultural identity could be associated with mental health benefits 31 and could "govern forms of social support, gender disadvantage and access to employment" 28 ; therefore future research could examine how far cultural identity may mediate ethnic density effects, although attempting to assess "identity" may present additional challenges.…”

Does cultural integration explain a mental health advantage for adolescents?

“…Cultural integration was associated with a lower prevalence of mental health problems in cross-sectional analyses, but these did not exclude reverse causality as a possible explanation 16 , 18 . Therefore, longitudinal studies of cultural integration are necessary as are comparative studies using similar methods in different cultural groups.…”

“…However, this process places strain on social relationships (within and across ethnic groups) and can affect mental health 15 . International research shows that acculturation can lead to a change in choice of friendships, clothing, consumption behaviours, preferred language, choice of reading materials and leisure activities, religious practices and parenting style 16 , 17 . The research methods used to measure acculturation and the cultural groups under investigation often differ across studies, making it difficult to draw any comparative conclusions across ethnic groups, and within the same country, let alone across countries 17 .…”