Researchers have proposed several reasons for why the individualistic culture can impact health and wellbeing adversely compared with collectivist cultures. For example, the Western qualities of materialism and individualism are detrimental to health and wellbeing through their influence on values (Eckersley, 2006). Materialistic values have found to lower self-actualisation, vitality, happiness and wellbeing, along with increase anxiety, physical symptomatology, and unhappiness (Kasser & Ahuvia, 2001; Tatzel, 2002). Individualistic cultures also place an importance on striving for happiness with the avoidance of negative emotions (Ahuvia, 2002; Diener & Suh, 2000; Steptoe et al., 2007; Veenhoven, 1999; Wierzbicka, 1994), whereas this is not always possible. Among collectivist cultures, the focus is on emotional stability, including the presence of both positive and negative affect (Lu, 2001; Ng et al., 2003). An important factor is the difference between the building of social ties between the cultures, with individualistic cultures focused on the self over connections between people, compared with the collectivist cultures whose happiness is more dependent on being part of a cohesive network. The research previously discussed on the associations between social connectedness and health becomes a key factor here.