Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-5-20
pubmed:abstractText
The expectation that Chinese people present distress somatically is a central prediction of cultural psychopathology and has been the subject of considerable theoretical speculation. At the same time, empirical studies have been infrequent and have yielded mixed results. The authors examined symptom presentation in Chinese (n=175) and Euro-Canadian (n=107) outpatients, using spontaneous problem report, structured clinical interview, and symptom questionnaire methods. All 3 methods yielded cross-culturally equivalent somatic and psychological symptom subscales. Chinese outpatients reported more somatic symptoms on spontaneous problem report and structured clinical interview compared with Euro-Canadians, who in turn reported more psychological symptoms on all 3 methods. The relation between culture and somatic symptom presentation was mediated by a tendency toward externally oriented thinking. Difficulties with identifying emotions or describing them to others did not differ significantly across cultures, supporting a nonpathological interpretation of observed differences. Psychological symptom effects were larger and more consistent than somatic symptom effects; because other studies have confirmed the ubiquity of somatic presentations worldwide, these results suggest that Western psychologization may be more culturally specific than is Chinese somatization.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
0021-843X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
117
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
300-13
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-11-11
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Adolescent, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Adult, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Aged, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Asian Continental Ancestry Group, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Canada, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-China, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Cross-Cultural Comparison, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Depressive Disorder, Major, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Diagnosis, Differential, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-European Continental Ancestry Group, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Female, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Male, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Middle Aged, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Neurasthenia, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Personality Assessment, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Psychometrics, pubmed-meshheading:18489206-Somatoform Disorders
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
The cultural shaping of depression: somatic symptoms in China, psychological symptoms in North America?
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec. andrew.ryder@concordia.ca
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural