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Cultural Perspectives on Depression Treatment

By: Marcus Maybourne

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Depression has sometimes been considered to be a sickness of the modern social environment. Otherwise healthy individuals become despondent, unmotivated, and unhappy for prolonged periods of time. And this occurs across all cultures, although the symptoms do vary to some degree. In this article I will discuss some of those cultural differences that can make depression treatment difficult, costly, and even dangerous.

To begin with, it is important to understand that we are not entirely clear on the reasons for depression. The constellation of symptoms which contitutes depression stays relatively constant across cultures, and yet the types of treatment for depress that may be effective can change. There are several theories about the root cause of depression, but none of them explains all of its occurrences.

One example is the biogenic amine theory of depression, which has led to the development of antidepressant medications. This theory postulates that depression is caused by a lack of certain neurochemicals which regulate mood and emotion. However, while neurochemical correlates for depression have certainly been found, it is not the case that simply replacing those neurochemicals cures the depression. Even if it were, science has not yet found a cause for the depleted neurotransmitter levels.

Another theory holds that depression is caused by inadequate social support. That human beings are intensely social animals and that as such we need to feel integrated into a supportive social network. Without that perception of external support, self-supporting functionality in the brain and body becomes overtaxed and is no longer able to keep up with external and internal demands.

It has also been suggested that the symptoms of depression may be a solution to a problem, rather than a problem in themselves. For example, when someone becomes inconsolably depressed and loses the ability to engage in happiness and enthusiasm, they are frequently excused from a number of responsibilities and offered additional support from friends and family members. Therefore, the depressed person has unknowingly found a solution to a problem that was deeply troubling them, and the depression symptoms, troubling as they may be, are that solution.

The manifestations of depression often take on cultural connotations. They are given meaning and take forms that are appropriate to the culture in which they arise. For example, in India, a depressive syndrome called the D'hat is thought to result from a loss of vital bodily fluids. The symptoms are almost entirely the same as the Major Depression seen in the West. But the treatments are different. Medications and therapies that are effective in the West are ineffective against the D'hat; yogic exercises and folk practices are effective.

This pattern is repeated throughout Asia, Africa, and among indigenous peoples throughout the world. The same depression symptoms occur in a different cultural context and so have a different meaning. The depression treatments that are needs are therefore also quite different. By approaching psychotherapy from a culturally-informed perspective, a clinician can formulate treatments that will be effective for each individual patient, no matter what cultural context the depression has occurred within.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Marcus Maybourne is a psychotherapist committed to individualized treatment of depression that take personal, social, and cultural factors into account.

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