Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Cracked Mirrors: Deconstructing Bipolar Disorder Through a Cultural Lens

Chengze LiUniversity of Toronto Mississauga*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Bipolar disorder (BD), long conceptualized through a predominantly biomedical and Eurocentric lens, is increasingly understood to be substantially shaped by social-cultural factors. This paper critically examines the impact of culture on the phenomenology, diagnosis, treatment, and lived experience of BD. Inspired by the social-cultural determinants of mental health perspective, this analysis argues that culture molds bipolar symptom expression, informs or interference clinical interpretation, generates unique illness narratives, and affect social and familial responses. Through a synthesis of current research on racial disparities in diagnosis, clinician bias, culturally specific practices, and local explanatory models, this paper deconstructs the universalist assumptions often implicit in psychiatric diagnosis. It highlights systemic inequities in care and reveals the limitations of a purely biological paradigm. By analyzing how factors from religious practices (e.g. Ramadan fasting) to cultural concepts (e.g. Indigenous Taqe Onqoy) interact with BD, the paper highlights the urgent of integrating social-cultural context into both bipolar clinical practice and research. Finally, it proposes a new research direction focused on developing culturally-validated assessment tools, employing community-based participatory methods, and exploring gene-environment-culture interactions to cultivate a more equitable, comprehensive, and globally relevant understanding of BD.

Keywords: Bipolar Disorder; Cultural Psychiatry; Health Disparities; Cross-Cultural Psychology
Published: December 4, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.HT30107
Volume: CHR Vol.97
pp. 226-233
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