Key Terms
- Health is state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- Ecological fallacy: the assumption that everyone in a certain culture adheres to their cultural norms.
- Etic Bias: researchers applying their own cultural norms to other cultures.
When studying mental health, it is usually split into 3 contexts/cultures:
- Their immediate surroundings.
- The culture they were enculturated with (the one they grew up surrounded by).
- The global culture.
Cultural Influences on Health
- Cultural beliefs and practices shape how individuals perceive health and illness.
- Traditional healing practices often coexist with biomedical approaches in many cultures.
- Stigma associated with mental health varies across cultures, affecting help-seeking behaviors.
Kleinman (1982)
Aim:
To explore how cultural beliefs influence the perception of illness.
Method
Qualitative interviews with Chinese patients diagnosed with neurasthenia.
Results
Patients described symptoms such as fatigue and headaches , which were interpreted as physical rather than psychological.
Conclusion
Cultural interpretations of illness can affect diagnosis and treatment.
Culture-Bound Syndromes
- Some mental health disorders are unique to specific cultures.
- These syndromes may not fit into Western diagnostic categories.
- This leads to misdiagnosis and possibly using the wrong treatments, which can be dangeous.
Tseng (2001)
Aim
To investigate culture-bound syndromes.
Method
Literature review of case studies.
Results
Identified syndromes such as koro (fear of genital retraction) in Southeast Asia and ataque de nervios (episodes of intense emotional distress) in Latin America.
Conclusion
Cultural context is essential for understanding and treating these disorders.
Cross-Cultural Comparisons
- Prevalence rates of mental health disorders vary across cultures.
- Treatment approaches are influenced by cultural norms and values.
Globalization and Health Inequalities
- Globalization has led to the spread of Western health practices but also increased health disparities. This is through a concept called cultural diffusion.
- For example, Western beauty standards could affect people in other cultures due to globalization.
- Access to healthcare remains unequal across and within countries.
Link to Concepts
- Perspective: the way people view themselves and others is part of one's perspective. If it is normal to value others' opinions of you in a certain culture, the emotions they feel may affect well-being more intensely compared to other cultures.
- Bias: Tests to compare cultures are often first written in a certain language/context and then translated, leading to possible cultural biases.
