Culture And Psychiatric Diagnosis: A Dsm-iv Perspective

by Mezzich, Juan E.

• ISBN13: 9781585621286
• ISBN10: 1585621285
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-01
• Publisher: AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC PUBLISHING INC

Summary

The United States will no longer have a Caucasian majority in the second half of the 21st century. Evidence shows that misdiagnosis of mental disorders occurs more frequently in minority populations. Thus, the domestic and international utility of DSM-IV and its companions will depend on their suitability for use with various cultures. A key feature of this volume is the collaboration of cultural experts, members of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH ) Culture and Diagnosis Group, nosologists, and members of the DSM-IV Task Force and Work Groups. The NIMH and the American Psychiatric Association held a conference on Culture and Psychiatric Diagnosis to prepare for DSM-IV. Culture and Psychiatric Diagnosisdeveloped from that meeting to enhance the cultural validity of DSM-IV. If clinicians are to become culturally sensitive, they must understand the criteria that define a disorder and consider the cultural context of the person being examined. They can then ascertain whether the criteria are applicable in the present cultural context of the patient. Culture and Psychiatric Diagnosiswill benefit all clinicians treating minority patients because it documents and clarifies how cultural factors influence psychopathology; the manifestations, assessment, and course of mental disorders, and the response to treatment.

Author Biography

Juan E. Mezzich, M.D., Ph.D., is Chair of the NIMH Culture and Diagnosis Group and Professor of Psychiatry and Head of the Division of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, City University of New York.

Arthur Kleinman, M.D., is Professor of Anthropology and Psychiatry and Chair of the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.

Horacio Fabrega, Jr., M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Delores L. Parron, Ph.D., is Associate Director for Special Populations at the National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, Maryland.