Yuhong Liu

This project investigates how cultural differences between the UK and Malawi influence conceptualizations and experiences of mental health. Western-centric diagnostic labels often fail to recognize indigenous experiences of suffering, such as spiritual explanations, which can hinder help-seeking and the equitable distribution of health resources. The research addresses this by identifying and measuring systemic linguistic variations through a two-phase mixed-methods approach. The qualitative phase applies reflexive thematic analysis with a constructionist approach to inductively develop a coding system from bilingual dictionaries and mental health guides. This involves deep reading and back-translation to define unique manifestations of distress and ensure semantic equivalence across Chichewa and English. Following this, the quantitative phase utilizes a Chi-squared analysis of a large corpus of news and academic articles to determine if these conceptual differences are statistically significant. To ensure high inter-rater reliability, collaboration with native Chichewa speakers is needed to conduct back-translations for semantic equivalence and code data independently. This partnership transforms the research into a reciprocal exchange of knowledge, giving non-Western cultures greater control over their own narratives. The primary outcome is a digital booklet pairing British and Malawian expressions for clinical mental health problems to serve as a case-specific resource for health communicators. Ultimately, the project fosters an inclusive global health framework that respects indigenous wisdom as a valid and scientifically significant source of knowledge.