Psychiatry Research EG

Mental illnesses are prevalent in all societies; however, the approaches to them differ from one society to another. The variation among cultures is a major cause of such differences. Culture refers to the unique behavior patterns and lifestyle shared by a group of people that distinguish it from other groups. A culture is characterized by a set of views, beliefs, values, and attitudes. Culture shapes attitudes, stereotypes, perception, emotions, way of thinking, imagination, and the way of living among individuals in each population. It is reflected in aspects such as common sayings, legends, drama, art, philosophical thought, and religions. Culture shapes people’s behavior, but at the same time, it is molded by the ideas and behavior of the members of the culture. Thus, culture and people influence each other reciprocally and interact continuously [1]. Culture defines the normality of behavior; for example, what may be defined as a mild form of mental illness in one culture may be defined as normal behavior in another. There is evidence that a person’s cultural background colors every facet of illness experience, from linguistic structure and the content of delusions [2,3] to the unique meaning of expressed emotion [4,5]. This might explain culture-bound syndromes and their resemblance to other disorders and syndromes in other societies. In psychiatric practice, three types of culture are present: the culture of the patient, the culture of the psychiatrist, and the medical culture in which the clinical work is practiced. They affect the symptoms’ definition, symptoms’ explanation, symptoms’ control, and the helpseeking behavior. In terms of the patients, in addition to individual factors – such as level of education, medical knowledge, and personal life experiences – culture will contribute to the patient’s understanding of illness, the perception and presentation of symptoms and problems, and reaction and adjustment to illness. The patient’s expectations of the physician, motivation for treatment, and compliance with treatment recommendations are also influenced by culture [6]. Also, the culture of the psychiatrist will shape the pattern of interaction and communication with the patient, for example, having cultural biases and expectations about the behavior and needs of a patient of a particular sex, race, or ethnicity. The culture of the psychiatrist explicitly or implicitly affects his or her attitude toward the patient, understanding of the patient’s problems, and approach to caring for the patient. Finally, the medical culture includes traditions, regulations, customs, and attitudes that have developed within the medical service setting beyond medical knowledge and theory. The practice of general psychiatry is strongly embedded in the medical culture that has developed within the medical system. Most physicians and medical staff members have become accustomed to living within this invisible cultural system and may be unaware of its influence on their practice. It often takes outsiders to recognize the existence of medical cultures, which may differ among specialties (such as surgery and psychiatry) but share common aspects [6].