Society And Culture Flashcards
Describe Amok and the community it originates from
Confined to males who, after a real or imagined insult, brood for several days and then return in a blind fury during which they attempt to kill everyone encountered. The frenzy is halted only when the person himself is killed or is caught and bound. There is amnesia for the behaviour. The essence of amok is blind, murderous violence arising out of extremely heightened emotions but without other features of psychiatric illness
Philippines and Malaysia
Describe the syndrome Ataque de nervios and what community it originates from
Intense emotional upset, shouting uncontrollably, aggression, dissociation, seizure-like episodes and in some suicidal gestures
A sense of being out of control
Attacks often occur from stressful events
Related to panic disorder but some ‘ataques’ are normative expressions of distress (e.g. at funerals)
Latino descent
Describe the term brain fag and what community it originates
A form of psychological distress first identified in Nigerian students in the 1960s but reported more generally in the African diaspora. It consists of a variety of cognitive disturbances, such as concentration difficulties and poor retention of study material, as well as sensory disturbances, such as heat sensations or dimming of vision), all of which occur during periods of intense intellectual activity
African diaspora
Describe the term Dhat and what where this term was coined
Applies to young males (although occurs in middle age) who attribute various symptoms (anxiety, somatic complaints, weakness, impotence etc) to semen loss
South Asia
Describe the term Khyal cap “wind attacks” and what communities it is found in
Symptoms of panic attacks in addition to those of autonomic arousal (e.g. tinnitus and neck soreness)
These attacks include catastrophic cognitions centred on the concern that khyal (a windlike substance) may rise in the body ‘along with blood’ and cause a range of serious effects e.g. compressing the lungs to cause shortness of breath and asphyxia; entering the cranium to cause tinnitus, dizziness, blurry vision, and a fatal syncope.
Cambodians
Attacks often triggered by worrisome thoughts
What is Koro and what communities did it originate?
Patients are usually males, who believe that the penis is withdrawing inside the abdomen. This results in a panic as the person also believes that once the penis has completely retracted he will die. Remedial action is taken by tying the penis with strings and getting help from relatives and friends
SE Asia and Chinese
What is kufungisisa and what community does it arise?
Cultural explanation that thinking too much causes anxiety, depression or somatic problems
Shona of Zimbabwe
What is Latah and what community does it arise? what sex does it affect
Predominantly affects women. Characterised by hypersensitivity to sudden fright or startle, echopraxia, echolalia / coprolalia, automatic responses to commands and dissociative behaviour. Similar to dissociative phenomena.
Malaysian people
What is maladi moun and what community does it effect?
A cultural explanation for diverse medical and psychiatric disorders. Illnesses are believed to have been sent from others who are envious or seek to cause malice
Haitian
What is nervios and what communities does it effect?
General state of vulnerability to stressful life experiences. Includes a wide range of symptoms of emotional distress, somatic disturbance and inability to function
Latinos
What is nevra and what communities does it come from?
Usually described as a feeling of loss of control, of having one’s nerves ‘burst out’ or ‘break out’, or ‘boil over’. An attack is often accompanied by shouting and screaming and throwing things. Headaches, dizziness, pain, and feelings of melancholy are associated with nevra
Greek
Which psychiatric disorders are associated with lower socioeconomic status?
Schizophrenia,
Personality disorders especially antisocial and borderline personality disorders
Cold dependence
Major depression
Which psychiatric disorders do not seem to have an association with socio economic status?
Eating disorders,
Autism
OCD
Bipolar disorder
What are plural societies?
Those in with a number of different cultural or ethnic groups residing together within a shared political and social framework
What is acculturation?
Process of cultural change when an individual or a group comes in continuous contact with a culturally distinct group. Can result from immigration and can occur in either direction
What is assimilation?
Partial adaptation of a new culture without retaining or giving up all or ones culture in origin completely.
What is integration
Maintaining ones home culture but also embracing the dominant culture
What is separation ?
Maintaining ones home culture and being isolated from the dominant culture
What is marginalisation
Giving up home culture and failing to relate properly to the dominant culture
Who identified the four paths to acculturation and what are they?
John Berry
Assimilation
Integration
Separation
Marginalisation
What is total assimilation ?
Obliteration of the non-dominant culture
What is “melting pot” assimilation ?
Less extreme version of total where a new form of the dominant culture emerges
