Philosophies of Happiness and Mental Health: A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Emotional Wellness
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Abstract
A global human phenomenon, happiness is imagined and wished for differently in every culture, building paradigms of mental health as well as individual aspirations. The philosophical roots of happiness in various world cultures: Western, Eastern, Indigenous, and African are examined here, as is their influence on mental health attitudes and practices. Buddhist and Confucian worldviews put greater stress on internal tranquillity, concord, detachment, and moral obligation than Western frameworks, which generally map happiness to individual success, self-regulation, and emotional health. Indigenous worldviews are more likely to connote happiness in terms of environmental balance and religious membership, while African philosophies like Ubuntu augment relational harmony, communal happiness, and communal well-being. By cross-cultural comparison of philosophical and mental models e.g., African Ubuntu, Stoic resilience, Japanese Ikigai, and Bhutanese Gross National Happiness, the paper contends that culturally responsive mental health care is required in the globally connected world today. It also balances the risks of exporting mental health models that will fail to honour local values and emotional norms. Lastly, the article calls for cross-cultural philosophies to be used in practice within mental health to build psychological resilience, empathy, and healthy well-being among populations. Through integrating philosophical, psychological, and anthropological perspectives, this paper argues for culturally sensitive mental health practices respecting diverse paradigms of happiness. It strives to discover an inclusive paradigm that acknowledges human flourishing in multiplicity, enriching therapeutic processes and cross-cultural notions of well-being. By posing this question, the study adds to the ongoing debate on culture-sensitive care and provides directions to more holistic and compassionate approaches to mental health towards the diverseness of philosophies surrounding happiness around the world.
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