Among the questions raised during our teleconferenced discussion were: How do people cope with stress from environmental threats? How does one deal with stigma attached to mental illness? How does one find help for emotional issues? Can stress, anxiety, or depression be treated without relying on psychiatric medication? What about moving to another country? Should one maintain traditions, language, and habits, or seek total assimilation into the adopted country?
Our teleconference reminded us that psychological stress is common to all peoples, and the anxiety, fear, and depression that can result from stress are universal human emotions. No matter what our culture, we must confront these emotions or our psychological health will suffer.
Psychology faculty at King's College have focused on several aspects of stress, and summaries can be found at http://www.subtlesuicide.com/ We hope to be able to partner with other academic institutions, and develop some inter-cultural research projects. We will also encourage our students to use this blog to engage their peers at other institutions in discussion of stress and other psychological issues.
