Culture-bound syndromes in Spanish speaking Latin America: the case of Nervios, Susto and Ataques de Nervios

Abstract

Background: Cultural issues are important for diagnostic validity between different countries; little has been addressed from Latin America and Caribbean countries (LAC). Objective: To identify LAC studies on culture-bound syndromes (CBS) and extract potential empirical evidence about Susto, Nervios and Ataques de Nervios. Methods: Search strategies were carried out in Medline, Embase, Lilacs, ISI and PsycINFO, covering 1992 to 2015. Inclusion criteria: studies on CBS conducted on populations residing in LAC, LAC articles on diagnostic classification and culture, where LAC has been included. Exclusion criteria: studies on Latin American migrants outside LAC. Content analysis used the system proposed by Guarnaccia and Rogler (1999): epidemiological, ethnographic and socio-demographic data and identification of comorbidities with other psychiatric disorders. Results: Thirty one articles were selected out of 1.090. These CBS were selected out of 1aphic data and identification of comorbidities with other ps proposed by Guarnaccia diagnostic classification and cun panic disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder and presented more psychosocial vulnerability. Discussion: Analysis showed that Nervios, Susto and Ataques de Nervios are important idioms of distress, associated with socio-economically vulnerable populations and comorbidities with other psychiatric conditions, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder. More studies are needed on their relation with stress and in more LAC countries.

The Context-Variable Self and Autonomy: Exploring Surveillance Experience, (Mis)recognition, and Action at Airport Security Checkpoints

“…It is, however, worth mentioning that some participants had a first language other than English, and the first author asked all questions in English. If this paper reported a study specifically on emotional complexity (e.g., Grossmann et al, 2016), or a study on culturally bounded phenomena (e.g., Nogueira et al, 2015), rather than an exploratory study on recognition/misrecognition during airport screening, then this approach might be a flaw. But those were not the questions answered in this paper, and all participants (sans the excluded two) responded with a level of detail sufficient for the analysis.…”

Building a collaborative framework: a qualitative study of therapists collaborating with Curanderxs

“…The participants identified three indicators of a need for collaboration: a clinical stalemate (client not making progress), the client believing in curanderismo and clients expressing interest in working with a curanderx. They also discussed symptoms that might be treated more efficiently by a curanderx: grief work, spiritual issues and susto (soul loss by an individual following a traumatic experience; Nogueira et al , 2015). Leo illustrated a clinical stalemate when working with a client expressing cultural aspects of curanderismo:…”

CAMINO: Integrating context in the mental health assessment of immigrant Latinos.

“…The DSM–5 acknowledged the presence of cross-cultural influences with an expanded section on cultural concepts of distress to include: cultural syndromes, cultural idioms of distress, and causal explanations (Alarcón, 2014). Awareness of socially endorsed constructs is particularly relevant as it has been found to be a common means of expressing anger, powerlessness, and grief resulting from interpersonal conflict, the migration experience, and worry about family members in the country of origin (Guarnaccia, DeLaCancela, & Carrillo, 1989; Nogueira, Mari, & Razzouk, 2015). Similarly, idioms of resilience may reflect cultural capital to be explored in overcoming difficult situations such as the stress associated with migration.Ethnic matching between a professional service provider and a client does not automatically lead to improved treatment outcomes (Cabral & Smith, 2011).…”