Toward a New Paradigm: A Cultural Systems Approach

Abstract

(from the chapter) The purpose of this chapter is to make explicit the influence of culture on the conceptualization and construction of mental illness. The authors first examine the theoretical assumptions and methodological fallacies that underlie the assumed universal patterns of expression of mental distress rather than cultural specificity of idioms of distress. Next, they demonstrate the need for extensive rethinking and restructuring of mental health theory for Asian Americans. They offer a different theoretical perspective for assessing the mental health of Asian American clients, and broadening the monocultural, European American paradigm to promote greater sensitivity in the assessment of cultural variations in emotional distress. It is suggested that researchers and practitioners interpret behavior according to its contextual meaning and accept the equal validity of various cultural constructions of the distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)