Culture refers to the "way of life" or the way groups of people do things. It includes customs, traditions, values, concepts, rules, practices and a body of knowledge acquired over time and transmitted across generations through learning. Culture is psychiatrically significant because it influences the psychopathology of various psychiatric disorders, how symptoms are perceived, explained, and where help is sought. Some psychiatric syndromes are believed to be limited to certain specific cultures. These disorders are called culture-specific or culture-bound syndromes, which are disorders that are generally confined to a certain cultural group or geographic region with similar cultural groups. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayYap first defined culture-bound psychogenic psychoses in 1962. This term was modified by him 7 years later to culture-bound syndromes. In 1992, ICD-10 used the term “culture-specific disorders.” In DSM-IV-TR, culture-bound syndromes were viewed as recurrent, location-specific patterns of aberrant behavior and troubling experience that may or may not be linked to a particular DSM-IV diagnostic category. The following characteristics have been seen as crucial for culture-bound syndromes according to DSM-IV-TR (2000): Diseases or afflictions considered indigenous – regarded as a deviation from normal or healthy presentation. Local names – the experience of mental distress is given a specific local name, often in the indigenous or key language of communication. Symptoms, course and social response are often influenced by local cultural factors. Limited to specific societies or cultural areas: this can be a geographic region, areas with a shared history or ethnic identity. Localized: Experiences that are not recognized globally or span multiple regions. The DSM-5 discarded the concept of culture-bound syndromes in favor of the term "cultural concepts of distress." The ways in which cultural groups experience, understand, and communicate suffering, behavioral problems, or troubling thoughts and emotions are referred to as cultural concepts of distress. Thus, rather than a culturally distinctive pattern of symptoms, culture-bound syndromes are actually clinically important cultural differences in the explanations or experience of distress. Name Region Clinical Features Related Conditions in Other Cultural Contexts Ataque de nerveos Latin descent • Feeling of being out of control. Intense emotional upset, Uncontrollable screaming and shouting, crying fits, trembling, Heat in the chest rising to the head, Becoming verbally and physically aggressive. It usually occurs after some stressful event affecting the family, such as hearing about the death of a close relative, conflict with a spouse or children, or witnessing an accident involving a family member. Indisposition (Haiti), loss of consciousness (Southern US), fall (West Indies) Dhat syndrome South Asia Term first used by Dr. NN Wig. Nocturnal emissions lead to severe anxiety and hypochondriasis. Patients often present with: generalized weakness, aches and pains all over the body, tingling and numbness in various parts of the body, especially peripheral parts, easy fatigue, tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss, loss of attention and concentration, excessive worrying, panic attacks, sad mood, forgetfulness, guilt (especially regarding masturbation during adolescence), sexual disorders (ejaculationpremature and erectile dysfunction). The patient attributes it to the discharge of whitish secretions, believed to be sperm (Dhat), in the urine. Treatment consists of counseling and sex education to remove misconceptions about sperm leakage, fears about masturbation and nocturnal emissions. Koro (Southeast Asia), shen-k´uei or kidney failure (China)Khyâl cap CambodiaSymptoms of panic attacks (dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, cold extremities); autonomic activation symptoms (tinnitus, neck pain) Pem lom (Laos), srong rlung gi nad (Tibet), vata (Srilanka), hwa byung (Korea)Kufungisisa Zimbabwe 'Thinking too much'Anxiety symptomsPanic attacksDepressive symptomsIrritability Brain fag ( Nigeria)Maladi moun Haitian Community 'Disease Transmission'Interpersonal envy and malice drive people to harm their enemies by transmitting diseases such as psychosis, depression, social and academic failure, and inability to carry out daily activities. Mal de oj (Spanish), mal'occhiu (Italian) (Malocchio)Nervios Latinos Refers to a general state of vulnerability towards stressful and difficult life experiences. Symptoms include: Headaches and occipital neck tension ('brain pain') Irritability Upset stomach Difficulty sleeping Nervousness Easy crying Inability to concentrate Tremor Tingling sensation Nerva (Greeks in North America), Nierbi (Sicilians in North America), nerves (white in Appalachia and Newfoundland) Shenjing shuairuo China 'Weakness of the nervous system'In the traditional interpretation, occurs when the bodily channels (jing) that carry vital forces (shen) become dysregulated due to social stressors and interpersonal. Symptoms include: Mental weakness and fatigue Irritability Headaches Insomnia Anxiety symptoms Ashaktapanna (India), shinkei-suijaku (Japan) 8 Susto Mexico, Central America, South America, Latin Americans in the United States Illness attributed to a frightening event inducing the soul to leave the body and causes unhappiness and illness. Symptoms include: Appetite disturbances Inadequate or excessive sleep Restless sleep/dreams Somatic symptoms Feelings of sadness, worthlessness, or dirtiness Interpersonal sensitivity Lack of motivation Espanto (Andean region) Taijin kyofush Japan "Interpersonal fear disorder" Anxiety about and avoidance of situations interpersonal due to thoughts, feelings, or beliefs that one's appearance and actions in social situations are inappropriate or offensive to others. Tein kong po (Korea) Other culture-bound syndromes not included in DSM 5: Amok: Usually seen in Southeast Asia (Malaysia). It is characterized by a sudden, unprovoked episode of anger in which the affected person runs around (goes wild) and indiscriminately injures or kills anyone he meets on the street. Koro: This culture-bound syndrome is seen in Asia, including India. The affected man has the belief that his penis is shrinking and may disappear into the abdominal wall and that he may die. Rarely, women may be affected, with a corresponding belief that their breasts and/or vulva are shrinking. Koro is usually based on culturally believed fears regarding nocturnal emission and masturbation. It often tends to spread rapidly to other members of the community in an epidemic form. Wihtigo (Windigo): This syndrome is present in native American Indians and occurs mainly during periods of hunger. The affected person has the belief that he has been transformed into a wihtigo or a cannibalistic monster. Piblokto (Arctic hysteria): This syndrome occurs in Eskimos, usually in females. The affected person tears his clothes and throws himself onto the ice in extremely cold conditions, screaming loudly).