Individual Differences Culture Flashcards
Lee 2006
Culture does not affect diagnosis.
Conducted a study in Korea deliberately to see if the DSM IV was valid in non-Western culture and it was for ADHD
Why should culture not affect diagnosis?
Culture should not affect diagnosis because we use a scientific model to diagnose - mental disorders are scientifically defined illnesses that are explained in a scientific way
Lin
Culture does not affect diagnosis
Looked at schizophrenia cross culturally and it was found the prevalence seemed similar across all cultures with regards to symptoms The similarities outweighed the differences. The only differences were the outcome for the patient patients and developed countries had more positive outcomes.
What is culture?
Culture is a set of beliefs, values and practices that characterise a group of people culture varies between people from different parts of the world, cross culture and between different religious groups.
What is cultural blindness?
Lack of awareness and recognition of different cultural groups and there differences.
Luhrmann
Culture does affect diagnosis
Found that hearing voices in the US was seen as negative, but in Ghana and India, it is positive
Casas
Culture does affect diagnosis
Found that a significant proportion of African-Americans do not like to share the personal information with people of a different race so different info lead to different diagnosis
Sue and Sue
Culture does affect diagnosis
Found the Asian Americans don’t like to talk about their emotions and are less likely to admit they have a problem lack of info equals validity
Banyard
Culture does affect diagnosis
Found in the UK 25% of patients on psyc wards were black whilst they only make up 5% of the population
What are culture bound syndromes
Culture bound syndrome means that they don’t fit into the categories of supposedly universal disorders identified by the ICD and DSM. They are almost exclusive to the specific location or cultural population. They are indigenously regarded to be fictions and thus have local names.
Neurasthenia
Culture bound syndrome are not included in diagnostic manuals like the DSM Neurasthenia is not a thing in western culture Tseng questioned whether half of China’s outpatients having aesthesia was a reflection of hyper prevalence of the disorder or whether it was related to the diagnostic procedure in China using the CCMD-2 many of the symptoms are similar to anxiety disorders so this is not valid in our culture
Conclusion
DSM now takes into account CBSs says this should improve validity of diagnosis and clinicians are encouraged to take cultural background into account when diagnosing. It is not recognised that some cultures exhibit and explained symptoms differently to other cultures for example panic attacks may present themselves as difficulty and breathe in one culture but another as unexplained crying. distress is also expressed differently and the symptoms listed under social anxiety now include fear of offending others for the Japanese expression of anxiety.
