Culture-Bound

Culture-Bound Disorders

Psychological disorders considered specific to particular ethnocultural groups because of distinct cultural factors influencing the etiology, meaning, expression, and for treatment of the disorder are referred to as culture-bound activities. The term is used in contrast to those psychological disorders considered to be “universal.” In its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the

Culture-Bound Syndromes

The term culture-bound syndromes was first coined in 1951 to describe mental disorders unique to certain societies or culture areas. The syndromes may include dissociative, psychotic, anxiety, depressive, and somatic symptoms and do not necessarily fit into contemporary diagnostic and classification systems of Western nosology. Although there is no consensus among mental health professionals about