Culture May Be Reflected in Symptoms
While treating Asian patients with mental illness, psychiatrists may encounter some of the following culture-bound syndromes, according to Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D.:
Ainu occurs in Japanese women and includes startle responses, automatic response to commands, and utterances of obscenities. | |||||
Hsieh-Ping is a trancelike state in which Chinese men believe they are possessed by dead relatives. | |||||
Koro is a panic state experienced by Southeast-Asian men who believe their penis is shrinking. | |||||
Hwa-Bung affects people from Korea and includes symptoms that overlap with the DSM-IV criteria for major depression, including dysphoric mood, irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. | |||||
Dhat syndrome occurs in Indian men and is characterized by the belief that semen is lost in the urine, resulting in a depletion of physical and mental energy. | |||||
