Culture and psychiatry Flashcards
Emic perspective
- used to refer to the perspective of an individual from a specific cultural group about his own group
- ‘me’
- linguistic and cultural variations acknowledged
- locally derived systems endorsed
- qualitative methods emphasizing cultural validity
- local belief driven
- individual health belief and explanatory models most important
Etic perspective
- refers to the perspective of an individual outside a specific cultural group about the studied group
- involves applying western psychiatric concepts en bloc into a different culture and uses it for diagnosis
- similar core symptoms in all cultures
- common classificxatory systems endorced
- quantitive methods of research preferred
- biomedically drvien
- provision of services most important
Race
-physical appearance, genetic and permanent
Culture
-behaviour and attitudes, upbringing and choice, changeable
Ethnicity
- group identity, socially defined, partially changeable
- a set of cultural patterns, heritage or ancestry shared by a social group of common national or geographic origin
Acculturation
-refers to the process of cultural change that takes place when an individual or a group comes in continuous contact with a culturally distinct group
4 types: integration, assimilation, separation, marginalisation: Berry’s model of acculturation
Assimilation
-partial adaption of a new culture without retaining or giving up all of one’s culture of origin completely
Integration
-high retention of one’s own cultural values and high adoption of the practices of the new culture
Separation
-refers to high retention of one’s own cultural values and low adoption of the practices of the new culture
Marginailsation
- both low retention of one’s own cultural values and low adoption of the practices of the new culture
- the individuals get marginalised by members of both culture of origin and culture of adoption
Enculturation
-refers to a culture being learnt through contact with family, friends, teachers and the media. This happens to everyone
Multiculturalism
-high degree of of relationship among various cultures but also high degree of retention of individual cultural identities
Melting pot
- high degree of relationship among various cultures but low degree of retention of individual culture identities
Segregation
-low degree of relationship among various cultures in society with high degree of retention of individual cultural identities
Exclusion
- low degree of relationship between various cultures in the society but low degree of retention of individual culture identities
Cultural bereavement
- refers to a self-limited grieving response developed by an individual on leaving his own culture
Cultural diffusion or syncretism
-spread of cultural traits through contacts across societies
Sojourning
- refers to brief exposure to different culture
- nostalgia or homesickness may occur
Segregation
-refers to removal of people from communities and placing them in an artificial community, which is more or less an insitution
-Goffman described 5 types of segregation:
1/ incapable harmless- old peoples homes
2. ill but threat to society- psych hospitals
3. not ill, but threat to society-prisons
4. occupation related- boarding schools, barracks
5. retreat from the world- monasteries, convents
Effect of emigration on a family
- elderly find it hard to adapt and change
- complete assimilation is seen in the young children
- a bicultural pattern is seen among adults of working age- at work they adapt to the new culture but at home they remain attached to the culture of origin
Idioms of distress
- idioms are well-structured and codified ways of expressing thoughts via language
- idioms in one language do not translate well into another
- idioms of disress are somatic symptoms that serve as a code for expressing one’s mental distress in some cultures
Hedge your bets approach
-following both prescribed medication and ethnic, spiritual therapy may be best for securing adherence in some families and religions
Melting pot approach
-enriching mainstream services with cultural needs
Cultural consultation model
-special MDT teams which provides consultations to other clinical teams and family but do not provide direct patient care
Ethnic minority services
-separate services set up for the growing minority population but may cause marginalisation
