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Review
. 2014 Jun;16(6):450.
doi: 10.1007/s11920-014-0450-3.

Cross-cultural aspects of anxiety disorders

Stefan G Hofmann  1 , Devon E Hinton
Affiliations
Review

Cross-cultural aspects of anxiety disorders

Stefan G Hofmann et al. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

A person's cultural background influences the experience and expression of emotions. In reviewing the recent literature on cross-cultural aspects of anxiety disorders, we identified some culturally related ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology factors (the culture's conceptualizations of how the mind and body function) and contextual factors that influence anxiety disorders. Ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology factors include the person's ideas about the mental and bodily processes (and their interaction), whereas contextual factors are associated with the social norms and rules that may contribute to anxiety, including individualism vs. collectivism and self-construals. From the perspective of ethnopsychology/ethnophysiology and contextual factors, we will discuss "khyâl cap" ("wind attacks"), taijin kyofusho, and ataques de nervios, three prominent examples of culture-specific expressions of anxiety disorders that have all been included in the DSM-5 list of cultural concepts of distress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Stefan G. Hofmann and Devon E. Hinton declare that they have no conflict of interest.

References

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