Culture-Bound Disorders
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2014
Published In
Encyclopedia Of Critical Psychology
Abstract
The term culture-bound disorder refers to a pattern of symptoms (mental, physical, and/or relational) that is experienced by members of a specific cultural group and that is recognized as a disorder by members of those groups. Culture-bound disorders may involve somatic expressions (e.g., temporary loss of consciousness or involuntarily clenched teeth), cognitions (e.g., a belief that one’s genitals are retracting into the body or a conviction that one has been abducted by extraterrestrial beings), or behaviors (e.g., extreme startle responses, coprophagia, or speaking in tongues). The terms culture-bound syndrome, culture-specific disorder, and folk illness are also used to refer to such phenomena. Culture-bound disorders occur throughout the parts world. Some examples are amok, latah, and koro (parts of Southeast Asia); semen loss or dhat (East India); brain fag (West Africa); ataque de nervios and susto (Latinos); falling out (US South and Caribbean); pibloktoq (Arctic and subarctic Inughuit societies); and Zaar possession states (Ethiopia and parts of North Africa).
Keywords
Psychiatric diagnosis, Transcultural psychiatry, Folk illness, culture, Folk illness
Published By
Springer
Editor(s)
T. Teo
Recommended Citation
Jeanne Marecek.
(2014).
"Culture-Bound Disorders".
Encyclopedia Of Critical Psychology.
356-358.
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_67
https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-psychology/1045