Culture and psychiatry

Question 1

Emic perspective

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

Etic perspective

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

Race

Answer 3

-physical appearance, genetic and permanent

Question 4

Culture

Answer 4

-behaviour and attitudes, upbringing and choice, changeable

Question 5

Ethnicity

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

Acculturation

Answer 6

-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

Question 7

Assimilation

Answer 7

-partial adaption of a new culture without retaining or giving up all of one’s culture of origin completely

Question 8

Integration

Answer 8

-high retention of one’s own cultural values and high adoption of the practices of the new culture

Question 9

Separation

Answer 9

-refers to high retention of one’s own cultural values and low adoption of the practices of the new culture

Question 10

Marginailsation

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

Enculturation

Answer 11

-refers to a culture being learnt through contact with family, friends, teachers and the media. This happens to everyone

Question 12

Multiculturalism

Answer 12

-high degree of of relationship among various cultures but also high degree of retention of individual cultural identities

Question 13

Melting pot

Answer 13

• high degree of relationship among various cultures but low degree of retention of individual culture identities

Question 14

Segregation

Answer 14

-low degree of relationship among various cultures in society with high degree of retention of individual cultural identities

Question 15

Exclusion

Answer 15

• low degree of relationship between various cultures in the society but low degree of retention of individual culture identities

Question 16

Cultural bereavement

Answer 16

• refers to a self-limited grieving response developed by an individual on leaving his own culture

Question 17

Cultural diffusion or syncretism

Answer 17

-spread of cultural traits through contacts across societies

Question 18

Sojourning

Answer 18

• refers to brief exposure to different culture

- nostalgia or homesickness may occur

Question 19

Segregation

Answer 19

-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

Question 20

Effect of emigration on a family

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

Idioms of distress

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

Hedge your bets approach

Answer 22

-following both prescribed medication and ethnic, spiritual therapy may be best for securing adherence in some families and religions

Question 23

Melting pot approach

Answer 23

-enriching mainstream services with cultural needs

Question 24

Cultural consultation model

Answer 24

-special MDT teams which provides consultations to other clinical teams and family but do not provide direct patient care

Question 25

Ethnic minority services

Answer 25

-separate services set up for the growing minority population but may cause marginalisation