Social and Cultural Factors relating to Psychopathology

Question 1

Explain the social and cultural factors relating to psychopathology.

Answer 1

Gender: has a major influence on the likelihood of developing certain MH conditions (e.g., females are more likely to develop depression. Males more likely to develop substance abuse disorders).
- but this is genetic or due to socialisation?
- reporting bias?

Culture: can affect the rates and expression of MH conditions (e.g., eating disorders more common in developed countries).
- may be cultural differences in willingness to report symptoms and seek treatment.
- some cultures may differ in the manifestation of distress.

Ethnicity: evidence shows there is a barrier towards treating BAME individuals.
- rates of diagnosis can differ depending on ethnicity (e.g., black males are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than white males).
- differences in diagnosing may indicate racial stereotyping.

Socioeconomic status: low social economic status = significant risk factor for development of psychopathology.
- treatments need to factor in the experiences of clients from low-income families