The role of culture on the phenomenology of hallucinations and delusions, explanatory models, and help-seeking attitudes: A narrative review.
Early intervention in psychiatry September 1, 2023 Mawada Ghanem, Christian Evangeli-Dawson, Anna Georgiades 26 citations
Culture shapes the formation and maintenance of delusions and hallucinations, influencing how people explain psychosis and seek help. A narrative review of 16 studies found cross-cultural differences in positive symptoms: auditory and visual hallucinations were most frequent in African patients; persecutory and grandiose delusions were higher in African, Pakistani, and Latino patients; delusions of reference were most prevalent in White-British groups. Three explanatory models emerged: Westerners endorsed a bio-psychosocial model linked to increased help-seeking and positive medication attitudes; Asian, Latino, Polish, and Māori patients favored religious-spiritual models; African patients opted for a bewitchment model.