Considering the cultural context in psychopathology formulations

South African Society of Psychiatrists guidelines for the integration of spirituality in the approach to psychiatric practice

“…[21,[27][28][29] Bodley, [30] for example, defined culture as 'the learned and shared symbolic information and way of life and thought that Homo sapiens use to improve their survival' .…”

Talking past each other: Conceptual confusion in ‘culture’ and ‘psychopathology’

“…Hassim and Wagner start the paper by endorsing a broadly semiotic definition of culture as a body of beliefs and symbols, [1] yet later appear to be using culture in a different sense. Statements such as 'all cultures experience psychopathology' and 'individuals from minority cultures' (note the plural), suggest a usage denoting groups or populations.…”

“…Their stated objective is to suggest ways in which culture can be 'incorporated into the applied utility of psychopathology formulation' , [1] a concern motivated by the increasingly accepted position that culture is central to psychiatric theory and practice.…”

“…Their stated objective is to suggest ways in which culture can be 'incorporated into the applied utility of psychopathology formulation' , [1] a concern motivated by the increasingly accepted position that culture is central to psychiatric theory and practice.The authors derive a number of themes from the reviewed research: the importance of incorporating the cultural context into clinical practice; the various ways in which culture influences psychopathology; and the evolving (and, I must add, myriad) definitions of the concept of culture. It is the last theme, perhaps more than the others, that caught my attention: if we can't define our central terms, agree on what they mean or, at least, explicitly state how we intend to use them, then the utility of the investigation of cultural influences on psychopathology is undermined from the outset by the lack of conceptual clarity.…”

Referral and collaboration between South African psychiatrists and religious or spiritual advisers: Views from some psychiatrists

“…A recent local study by Hassim and Wagner, [19] commented on by Rashed, [20] considered the cultural context in psychopathological formulation. It found that: health and behaviour are dependent, at least in part, on culture; psychopathology may also be understood as a social construct; culture has an influence on psychopathology, regardless of its aetiology; diagnostic classes do not adequately consider operational definitions; and a greater focus on hermeneutic perceptivity in appreciating cultural dynamics in psychopathology would benefit clinical assessment.…”