Introduction to Culture-Bound Syndromes

However, study of the culture-bound syndromes can teach an important lesson. In considering the situation of a suffering human being, especially if the goal is to ameliorate that suffering, it is necessary to consider not only the physiology, but also culturally significant beliefs and practices and the patient's social situation in puzzling out whether to intervene and, if so, how. In my experience, sometimes the best therapy is a shamanistic healing ceremony, sometimes it is an antidepressant or antipsychotic, and sometimes it is an antibiotic. Since people presenting with an indigenous diagnosis of a culture-bound syndrome may in fact be suffering from tuberculosis, schizophrenia, intrafamilial oppression and so on, the best therapy is that which deals with the problematic factor in the specific case. Often, just as in Western psychiatry, a combination of several approaches makes the most sense.