Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases

Yasuhiro Kotera; Amy Ronaldson; Daniel Hayes; Holly Hunter-Brown; Merly McPhilbin; Danielle Dunnett; Tesnime Jebara; Simran Takhi; Takahiko Masuda; Elizabeth Camacho; Ioannis Bakolis; Julie Repper; Sara Meddings; Vicky Stergiopoulos; Lisa Brophy; Clara De Ruysscher; Michail Okoliyski; Petra Kubinová; Lene Eplov; Charlotte Toernes; Dagmar Narusson; Aurélie Tinland; Bernd Puschner; Ramona Hiltensperger; Fabio Lucchi; Yuki Miyamoto; Stynke Castelein; Marit Borg; Trude Gøril Klevan; Roger Tan Boon Meng; Chatdanai Sornchai; Kruawon Tiengtom; Marianne Farkas; Hannah Moreland Jones; Edith Moore; Ann Butler; Richard Mpango; Samson Tse; Zsuzsa Kondor; Michael Ryan; Gianfranco Zuaboni; Dan Elton; Jason Grant-Rowles; Rebecca McNaughton; Claire Harcla; Wouter Vanderplasschen; Simone Arbour; Denise Silverstone; Ulrika Bejerholm; Candice Powell; Susana Ochoa; Mar Garcia-Franco; Jonna Tolonen; Caroline Yeo; Ashleigh Charles; Jessica Jepps; Adelabu Simpson; Vanessa Kellermann; Olamide Todowede; Laura Asher; Michio Murakami; Liza Hopkins; Ngurzoi Jahau; Naoko Arakawa; Elisabetta Scanferla; Claire Henderson; Mike Slade

doi:10.1007/s11469-024-01307-y

Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases

Yasuhiro Kotera^*
, Amy Ronaldson
, Daniel Hayes
, Holly Hunter-Brown
, Merly McPhilbin
, Danielle Dunnett
, Tesnime Jebara
, Simran Takhi
, Takahiko Masuda
, Elizabeth Camacho
, Ioannis Bakolis
, Julie Repper
, Sara Meddings
, Vicky Stergiopoulos
, Lisa Brophy
, Clara De Ruysscher
, Michail Okoliyski
, Petra Kubinová
, Lene Eplov
, Charlotte Toernes

Dagmar Narusson, Aurélie Tinland, Bernd Puschner, Ramona Hiltensperger, Fabio Lucchi, Yuki Miyamoto, Stynke Castelein, Marit Borg, Trude Gøril Klevan, Roger Tan Boon Meng, Chatdanai Sornchai, Kruawon Tiengtom, Marianne Farkas, Hannah Moreland Jones, Edith Moore, Ann Butler, Richard Mpango, Samson Tse, Zsuzsa Kondor, Michael Ryan, Gianfranco Zuaboni, Dan Elton, Jason Grant-Rowles, Rebecca McNaughton, Claire Harcla, Wouter Vanderplasschen, Simone Arbour, Denise Silverstone, Ulrika Bejerholm, Candice Powell, Susana Ochoa, Mar Garcia-Franco, Jonna Tolonen, Caroline Yeo, Ashleigh Charles, Jessica Jepps, Adelabu Simpson, Vanessa Kellermann, Olamide Todowede, Laura Asher, Michio Murakami, Liza Hopkins, Ngurzoi Jahau, Naoko Arakawa, Elisabetta Scanferla, Claire Henderson, Mike Slade

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This commentary highlights two cross-cultural issues identified from our global mental health (GMH) research, RECOLLECT (Recovery Colleges Characterisation and Testing) 2: self-enhancement and ingroup biases. Self-enhancement is a tendency to maintain and express unrealistically positive self-views. Ingroup biases are differences in one’s evaluation of others belonging to the same social group. These biases are discussed in the context of GMH research using self-report measures across cultures. GMH, a field evolving since its Lancet series introduction in 2007, aims to advance mental health equity and human rights. Despite a 16.5-fold increase in annual GMH studies from 2007 to 2016, cross-cultural understanding remains underdeveloped. We discuss the impact of individualism versus collectivism on self-enhancement and ingroup biases. GMH research using concepts, outcomes, and methods aligned with individualism may give advantages to people and services oriented to individualism. GMH research needs to address these biases arising from cross-cultural differences to achieve its aim.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3572–3581
Journal	International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
Volume	23
Early online date	8 May 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-024-01307-y
Publication status	Published - 31 Oct 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

Collectivism
Cross-culture
Global mental health
Individualism
Ingroup bias
Self-enhancement

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Cross-Cultural Insights_VoRFinal published version, 708 KBLicence: CC BY

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Kotera, Y., Ronaldson, A., Hayes, D., Hunter-Brown, H., McPhilbin, M., Dunnett, D., Jebara, T., Takhi, S., Masuda, T., Camacho, E., Bakolis, I., Repper, J., Meddings, S., Stergiopoulos, V., Brophy, L., De Ruysscher, C., Okoliyski, M., Kubinová, P., Eplov, L., ... Slade, M. (2025). Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 23, 3572–3581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-024-01307-y

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title = "Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases",

abstract = "This commentary highlights two cross-cultural issues identified from our global mental health (GMH) research, RECOLLECT (Recovery Colleges Characterisation and Testing) 2: self-enhancement and ingroup biases. Self-enhancement is a tendency to maintain and express unrealistically positive self-views. Ingroup biases are differences in one{\textquoteright}s evaluation of others belonging to the same social group. These biases are discussed in the context of GMH research using self-report measures across cultures. GMH, a field evolving since its Lancet series introduction in 2007, aims to advance mental health equity and human rights. Despite a 16.5-fold increase in annual GMH studies from 2007 to 2016, cross-cultural understanding remains underdeveloped. We discuss the impact of individualism versus collectivism on self-enhancement and ingroup biases. GMH research using concepts, outcomes, and methods aligned with individualism may give advantages to people and services oriented to individualism. GMH research needs to address these biases arising from cross-cultural differences to achieve its aim.",

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doi = "10.1007/s11469-024-01307-y",

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Kotera, Y, Ronaldson, A, Hayes, D, Hunter-Brown, H, McPhilbin, M, Dunnett, D, Jebara, T, Takhi, S, Masuda, T, Camacho, E, Bakolis, I, Repper, J, Meddings, S, Stergiopoulos, V, Brophy, L, De Ruysscher, C, Okoliyski, M, Kubinová, P, Eplov, L, Toernes, C, Narusson, D, Tinland, A, Puschner, B, Hiltensperger, R, Lucchi, F, Miyamoto, Y, Castelein, S, Borg, M, Klevan, TG, Meng, RTB, Sornchai, C, Tiengtom, K, Farkas, M, Jones, HM, Moore, E, Butler, A, Mpango, R, Tse, S, Kondor, Z, Ryan, M, Zuaboni, G, Elton, D, Grant-Rowles, J, McNaughton, R, Harcla, C, Vanderplasschen, W, Arbour, S, Silverstone, D, Bejerholm, U, Powell, C, Ochoa, S, Garcia-Franco, M, Tolonen, J, Yeo, C, Charles, A, Jepps, J, Simpson, A, Kellermann, V, Todowede, O, Asher, L, Murakami, M, Hopkins, L, Jahau, N, Arakawa, N, Scanferla, E, Henderson, C & Slade, M 2025, 'Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases', International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, vol. 23, pp. 3572–3581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-024-01307-y

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies

T2 - Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases

AU - Kotera, Yasuhiro

AU - Ronaldson, Amy

AU - Hayes, Daniel

AU - Hunter-Brown, Holly

AU - McPhilbin, Merly

AU - Dunnett, Danielle

AU - Jebara, Tesnime

AU - Takhi, Simran

AU - Masuda, Takahiko

AU - Camacho, Elizabeth

AU - Bakolis, Ioannis

AU - Repper, Julie

AU - Meddings, Sara

AU - Stergiopoulos, Vicky

AU - Brophy, Lisa

AU - De Ruysscher, Clara

AU - Okoliyski, Michail

AU - Kubinová, Petra

AU - Eplov, Lene

AU - Toernes, Charlotte

AU - Narusson, Dagmar

AU - Tinland, Aurélie

AU - Puschner, Bernd

AU - Hiltensperger, Ramona

AU - Lucchi, Fabio

AU - Miyamoto, Yuki

AU - Castelein, Stynke

AU - Borg, Marit

AU - Klevan, Trude Gøril

AU - Meng, Roger Tan Boon

AU - Sornchai, Chatdanai

AU - Tiengtom, Kruawon

AU - Farkas, Marianne

AU - Jones, Hannah Moreland

AU - Moore, Edith

AU - Butler, Ann

AU - Mpango, Richard

AU - Tse, Samson

AU - Kondor, Zsuzsa

AU - Ryan, Michael

AU - Zuaboni, Gianfranco

AU - Elton, Dan

AU - Grant-Rowles, Jason

AU - McNaughton, Rebecca

AU - Harcla, Claire

AU - Vanderplasschen, Wouter

AU - Arbour, Simone

AU - Silverstone, Denise

AU - Bejerholm, Ulrika

AU - Powell, Candice

AU - Ochoa, Susana

AU - Garcia-Franco, Mar

AU - Tolonen, Jonna

AU - Yeo, Caroline

AU - Charles, Ashleigh

AU - Jepps, Jessica

AU - Simpson, Adelabu

AU - Kellermann, Vanessa

AU - Todowede, Olamide

AU - Asher, Laura

AU - Murakami, Michio

AU - Hopkins, Liza

AU - Jahau, Ngurzoi

AU - Arakawa, Naoko

AU - Scanferla, Elisabetta

AU - Henderson, Claire

AU - Slade, Mike

PY - 2025/10/31

Y1 - 2025/10/31

N2 - This commentary highlights two cross-cultural issues identified from our global mental health (GMH) research, RECOLLECT (Recovery Colleges Characterisation and Testing) 2: self-enhancement and ingroup biases. Self-enhancement is a tendency to maintain and express unrealistically positive self-views. Ingroup biases are differences in one’s evaluation of others belonging to the same social group. These biases are discussed in the context of GMH research using self-report measures across cultures. GMH, a field evolving since its Lancet series introduction in 2007, aims to advance mental health equity and human rights. Despite a 16.5-fold increase in annual GMH studies from 2007 to 2016, cross-cultural understanding remains underdeveloped. We discuss the impact of individualism versus collectivism on self-enhancement and ingroup biases. GMH research using concepts, outcomes, and methods aligned with individualism may give advantages to people and services oriented to individualism. GMH research needs to address these biases arising from cross-cultural differences to achieve its aim.

AB - This commentary highlights two cross-cultural issues identified from our global mental health (GMH) research, RECOLLECT (Recovery Colleges Characterisation and Testing) 2: self-enhancement and ingroup biases. Self-enhancement is a tendency to maintain and express unrealistically positive self-views. Ingroup biases are differences in one’s evaluation of others belonging to the same social group. These biases are discussed in the context of GMH research using self-report measures across cultures. GMH, a field evolving since its Lancet series introduction in 2007, aims to advance mental health equity and human rights. Despite a 16.5-fold increase in annual GMH studies from 2007 to 2016, cross-cultural understanding remains underdeveloped. We discuss the impact of individualism versus collectivism on self-enhancement and ingroup biases. GMH research using concepts, outcomes, and methods aligned with individualism may give advantages to people and services oriented to individualism. GMH research needs to address these biases arising from cross-cultural differences to achieve its aim.

KW - Collectivism

KW - Cross-culture

KW - Global mental health

KW - Individualism

KW - Ingroup bias

KW - Self-enhancement

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85192801813

U2 - 10.1007/s11469-024-01307-y

DO - 10.1007/s11469-024-01307-y

M3 - Comment/debate

AN - SCOPUS:85192801813

SN - 1557-1874

VL - 23

SP - 3572

EP - 3581

JO - International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

JF - International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

ER -

Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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