Introduction

This chapter begins with a brief review of the literature on global mental health. Variations in how mental health disorders are expressed are then reviewed, followed by a proposal of the necessity of the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of mental health scales. Subsequently, cultural adaptation in the context of health translation is discussed based on relevant literature. Through the review, proposal and discussion above, this study aimed to explore cultural adaptation in the translation of mental health scales as one means to reduce stigmatization of mental disorders and attend to the mental health needs of individuals with mental illness.