Culture-Bound Syndromes

Culture-bound syndromes (CBSs) are defined as sets of symptoms and signs unique to specific regions or countries around the world. They are understood as characteristic responses to a variety of pathogenic agents and are explained in the context of beliefs, traditions, and moral or religious perspectives from their societies of origin. Over many decades, CBSs have become a subject of research and didactic interest in academic centers, leading to growing points of contact among cultural psychiatry, social sciences, and established medical and psychiatric practice. This entry includes a listing of CBSs described in different regions of the world. It enumerates their main clinical characteristics and causal (etio-pathogenic) factors; presents cultural explanations of these conditions' origin, nature, and degree and type of accompanying emotional and physical distress; and attempts to locate each nosologically. The entry closes with the new set of concepts proposed in the DSM-5, which will probably guide future research efforts in this area.