Why is culture an important consideration in the interview, assessment, and diagnostic process?
Culture is among the most critical factors in the psychological diagnostic process. This topic has raised a myriad of issues and arguments as to whether it should be incorporated or considered amid the psychological diagnostic process. Culture can play a significant role in the behavior of individuals and should thus be considered in the interview, assessment and diagnostic processes.
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According to Satcher (2001), the manifestation of mental and physical disorders vary with ethnicity, culture, gender, and age. Moreover, patients from one culture may communicate signs and symptoms in a poorly understood manner. To get a meaningful diagnosis, the clinicians ought to determine if the symptoms and signs of the patient impair their social functioning (Satcher, 2001). The judgment would be based on the deviation from the social norms that are exclusive to the patient’s particular culture. For instance, in some cultural groups, getting visions or hearing voices of religious figures might be part of the typical spiritual experiences on particular instances and may be abnormal in other cultures (Satcher, 2001).
It is also evident that the patient-clinician interaction is extensive with possibilities for misunderstanding or miscommunication when they are from diverse cultural backgrounds. This shows how crucial it is for the clinician to understand the significance of culture in the psychological diagnostic process.
How might your own cultural, ethnic, or family values, rules, or traditions be misinterpreted as "abnormal" by someone from a dissimilar background?
It is usually common that what is perceived as a norm in one culture is seen as an abnormal behavior in another. This can be attributed to the significant differences in the norms and beliefs of different cultures. Therefore, an individual’s cultural, family, or ethnic values can be misinterpreted by a dissimilar culture due to the differences in their norms and beliefs.
For instance, some men in Malaysia have a fear of their genitals retracting up into their bodies. The particular phenomenon, which they allude to as Koro, is believed to be deadly (Ayan and Calliess, 2005). In a bid to prevent this, the individuals use weights on their genitals or even use extreme measures. The uncomfortable antidote stimulated by fear is uncommon, yet, it is accepted as a norm in this culture. However, in Western countries, an individual who acts on such beliefs would be labeled as psychologically abnormal (Ayan and Calliess, 2005). This contradictory assessment raises a significant, yet rarely conversed issue in psychology that cultural values and norms determine the behaviors that are accepted socially. In the setting of these standards, every society ascertains the actions and mindsets that may establish a psychological syndrome.
The differences in culture brings about the differences in norms and beliefs and what one perceives as typical in life, others see it as atypical. In this manner, psychologists or clinicians should be sensitive to cultural significance and should familiarize themselves with the culture of their patients before undertaking a diagnosis.
References
Ayan J. Steve, Calliess, T. Iris. (2005). Abnormal as Norm. Scientific American . Retrieved 28 February 2019, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/abnormal-as-norm/
Satcher, D. (2001). Mental health: Culture, race, and ethnicity—A supplement to mental health: A report of the surgeon general.
