Culture-bound

Culture-bound syndrome (also known as culture-specific syndrome or folk illness) is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or culture. There are no objective biochemical or structural alterations of body organs or functions, and the disease is not recognized in other cultures.

While many culture-bound syndromes involve psychological symptoms, they are not limited to mental health, and often include a wide array of physical symptoms as well. The concept of culture-bound syndromes is related to the more general concept of illness behavior, which refers to the ways in which people interpret and respond to physical or psychological symptoms.

Definition and Classification

The term culture-bound syndrome was included in the fourth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) published by the American Psychiatric Association in 1994. The DSM-IV defines a culture-bound syndrome as a pattern of behavior and troubling experience that may or may not be linked to a particular DSM-IV diagnostic category. Many of these patterns are indigenously considered to be "illnesses," or at least afflictions, and most have local names.

Examples

Examples of culture-bound syndromes include Amok, a syndrome in Malaysia where an individual may react violently to perceived insults, and Koro, a belief among some people in East Asia that their genitals are retracting into their bodies.

Criticism

The concept of culture-bound syndromes has been criticized for several reasons. Some argue that the concept reinforces stereotypes and biases, and that it is based on a Western model of disease that may not be applicable to other cultures. Others argue that the concept is too broad and vague, and that it does not adequately account for the complexity and diversity of human behavior and experience.

See also

• Culture-bound syndromes
• Ethnopsychopharmacology
• Folk medicine
• Medical anthropology
• Psychiatric epidemiology

Culture-bound Resources
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