Possible Challenges in Cross-Cultural Exchange

  • Peers and professionals from cultures that do not have a strong honor code may have difficulty understanding the relevance of this in an emotional difficulty a Turkish individual is facing regarding honor.
  • Religion is clearly an importance part of Turkish culture seeing as 98% of Turkish people are Muslim. Without knowledge of Islam, it will be difficult for peers and professionals to understand a Turkish individual’s view on death and suicide, as these are closely intertwined.
  • Gender differences play a critical role in Turkish culture and the effect of these gender roles can be seen in reported suicide rates.
  • An understanding of the stigma against mental health and tendency to somatize mental disorders will also likely cause difficulty in recognizing mental health issues that may lead to suicidal ideation/behaviors.
  • Different identities are stigmatized in Turkey than in other countries, which causes different groups to be more at risk for suicide attempts (Ikizier, Ramírez-Esparza, & Quinn, 2017).
  • An individual from a culture where medication is discussed more openly may need to adjust to treating an individual from a more traditional culture like Turkish culture.
  • Due to the close involvement of family in Turkish culture, professionals may face complications with confidentiality of their clients throughout the therapeutic process (Guvensel et al., 2015).
  • While Turkey shares many predictors of suicidal behavior with other cultures, there are some that may be more or less salient than other cultures. It is important to understand the indicators that tend to be most accurate in Turkey.

Recommendations to promote Intercultural Competence

  • Read our website!
  • One necessary cultural difference to understand if you are coming from the United States is that Turkey is a collectivistic culture, this greatly impacts the mentality, behaviors, and thoughts of Turkish individuals, just as individualistic society in the United States impacts Americans’ mentalities, behaviors, and thoughts.
  • Make yourself aware of the topics related to previously mentioned possible cross-cultural challenges.
  • As a professional treating a Turkish individual or a peer supporting a Turkish friend, one must make the effort to learn about the relevant cultural factors that may affect this person’s attitude towards mental health, depression, and suicide.
  • To help create an environment of trust, professionals working with Turkish families should introduce therapeutic interventions slowly, and carefully assess reasons for reluctance to participate in therapy.
  • Professionals working cross-culturally with Turkish individuals, and individuals from collectivistic societies, should encourage their clients to find a social support system to restore feelings of security and belonging, especially in the case of Turkish immigrants (Mocan-Aydin et al., 2000).
  • Mental health professionals working cross-culturally should make a special effort to create a comfortable and welcoming environment.
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Future Research

  • Why are suicide rates higher in metropolitan areas (Eskin et al., 2007)?
  • Investigating risk factors such as time, region, age level, gender, and race to be used to predict and prevent suicide (Aktaş et al., 2014).
  • Targeting at-risk groups — such as women, adolescents, those affected by mood disorders, and marginalized groups — for suicide prevention research.
  • Examining how in home conflict due to factors such as different cultural factors affects the mental development of children and adolescents.
  • Exploration into factors that lead to adult suicide in Turkey.
  • Educating the public on mental health topics and reducing stigma within Turkey (Duman et al., 2010).
  • Studying the long-term effects of inpatient intervention and education programs (Duman et al., 2010).
  • Research on psychotropic medication to treat different mental disorders within Turkey (and potentially the change in use over time).