Depression as a culture-bound syndrome: implications for primary care

Depression as a culture-bound syndrome: implications for primary care.

Resignation Syndrome: Catatonia? Culture-Bound?

Resignation syndrome (RS) designates a long-standing disorder predominately affecting psychologically traumatized children and adolescents in the midst of a strenuous and lengthy migration process. Typically a depressive onset is followed by gradual withdrawal progressing via stupor into a state that prompts tube feeding and is characterized by failure to respond even to painful stimuli. The pa...

Depression in Primary Care

Richard L. Elliott, MD, PhD Depression is common in primary care settings, affecting at least 10% of primary care patients. It carries medical and psychiatric comorbidity, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, medically unexplained (functional) symptoms, chronic pain, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse. Diagnosis and treatment are straightforward for...

Screening for depression in primary care

Depression has become one of the most prevalent mental disorders. Depressive disorders or significant depressive symptoms have been found in up to 25% of patients visiting general or family practitioners. Thus family doctors frequently meet depressive patients in their everyday work, and the importance of timely evidence-based diagnostics and treatment of the disorder has increased. The diagnos...

A case of "ifufunyane": a xhosa culture-bound syndrome.

Clinicians and patients frequently have a different understanding and interpretation of the nature of an illness. While many reasons for these discrepancies can be postulated, differences in sociocultural background often play an important role—especially in the field of psychiatry. At our tertiary psychiatric hospital in South Africa, where standard Western teachings are followed, clinicians a...