5.1.5 Individual diffs- cultural factors affecting diagnosis Flashcards
Define ‘culture’.
The way of life for a group of people,their norms and shared values.
Define ‘cross-culture’.
Culture varying between people from different parts of the world.
Give an example of cross-cultures.
Western (USA) and Eastern (China) cultures
Define ‘sub-culture’.
Culture varying between different groups within the same region.
Give an example of sub-cultures.
Different religious and socioeconomic groups.
How does culture affect diagnosis?
The culture an individual belongs to affects likelihood of being diagnosed with a particular disorder and the treatment then received.
What did Fernando (1992) say about culture and diagnosis?
That certain groups appear to be more prone to certain disorders - African Caribbeans being more likely to suffer from schizophrenia.
Where did Fernando (1992) say the differences in diagnosis lie?
In the bias of the mental health system instead of different ethnic groups.
What 5 key issues did Fernando (1992) identify from studies of ethnicity and mental health?
AO1- Factors found (be v descriptive)
AO3- S/W of the factors eg racial bias in the system isn’t a fact, it’s an evaluation
1) Over diagnosis of schizophrenia among West Indian and Asian British
2) Excessive used of compulsory admission for West Indian-British
3) More West Indian, African and Asian British is transferred to locked wards when hospitalised
4) Excessive admissions of ‘offender’ patients among West Indian-British
5) Overuse of electro-convulsive therapy among Afro-Caribbean and Asian British
How do Fernando’s (1992) findings demonstrate a bias in the mental health system?
The fact that such high rates of mental illness are not seen in the countries of origin and such bias may include lack of recognition of differences in cultural beliefs.
What did Casas (1995) find?
African Americans do not like to share their personal information with people of a different race.
What did Sue and Sue (1992) find?
That African Americans don’t like to talk about their emotions and so are less likely to admit they have a problem.
What did Banyard (1996) find that supports Fernando’s second key issue?
He found that 25% of patients on psychiatric wards were black, whilst they only made up 5% of the population and whilst in the hospital were more likely to be seen by a junior doctor instead of senior ones.
What did Rack et al (1982) find?
rare for Asian patients to present symptoms of depression- believe that emotional problems is not something to go to the doctor for, so more often report physiological symptoms.
What 3 things does the DSM-IV-TR use in attempts to enhance its cultural sensitivity?
1) Including a discussion of cultural and ethnic factors for each disorder in the main body of the manual
2) Providing a general framework for evaluating the role of culture and ethnicity in the appendix
3) By describing culture-bound syndromes (CBS) in the appendix, such as Koro (Asian men fear their penis is retracting)
4) Cultural formulation- interview done w patients on their culture, experiences in their culture to diagnose correctly
