The Impact of Cultural Differences on Mental Health

The narrator explores how cultural differences and language barriers affect the understanding and treatment of mental health. The Russian word 'teska' is used by the narrator's mother to describe her experience as an immigrant, but it is not easily translatable to English. The narrator recounts her own struggle with depression and the clash between her mother's belief that depression is an American concept and her own realization that she can claim the word for her own experiences. The story highlights the importance of understanding and accepting the nuances of mental health across different cultures.