Cultural Influence on Clinical Features of Depression

Abstract

Background: Depression is a common cause of poor health throughout the world. Genotype factors and cultural environment will interact to influence the psychodynamics of a person's behaviour in expressing depression.Aim: This paper aims to describe the influence of cultural factors on a person's psychodynamics and clinical appearance of depression.Methods: PubMed were searched using the following keyword: (culture) AND (expression of depression OR expression OR clinical appearance) AND (psychodynamic) AND (psychometrics) using the journal publication filter for the 2014-2020 issue. We also used textbooks published in the last 10 years and were related to writing themes.Review: Every individual has "internal" and "external" views within him, which are influenced by the culture in which he grows and develops. These views, along with beliefs, religions, and gender differences can influence the type and severity of depression as well as variations in clinical appearance. In addition, most of the existing psychometrics developed in Europe and the United States, so there are some items that are not appropriate when applied in different cultures. In Indonesia there is an Indonesian Depression Checklist that has been adapted to Indonesian culture to detect depression. Physicians must avoid stereotyping members of certain cultural groups while respecting the importance of cultural influences.Summary: Psychodynamics and culture will influence behaviour in response to distress, resulting in clinical vary features of depression across cultures. Health care workers must have the cultural competence to sharpen their analytical power and avoid misdiagnosis of depression.Keywords: culture, depression, expression, psychodynamics, psychometrics.

Health care outcomes due to incidents of burnout in Asia: A literature review

“…Psychosocial stressors also impact changes in the performance of the hypothalamus and the production of glucocorticoids and catecholamines thereby causing decreased immunity [7]. Psychodynamics and culture influence behavior in response to distress and produce a variable clinical picture of depression [8]. Sleep disturbance is one of the features depressive disorder.…”