The Experts below are selected from a list of 291 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Brandon A Kohrt - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Reflechi twòp—Thinking Too Much: Description of a Cultural Syndrome in Haiti’s Central Plateau
Culture Medicine and Psychiatry, 2014Co-Authors: Bonnie N Kaiser, Brandon A Kohrt, Nayla M Khoury, Kristen E. Mclean, Ashley K. Hagaman, Bradley H. Wagenaar, Hunter M KeysAbstract:A rich Haitian Ethnopsychology has been described, detailing concepts of personhood, explanatory models of illness, and links between mind and body. However, little research has engaged explicitly with mental illness, and that which does focuses on the Kreyòl term fou (madness), a term that psychiatrists associate with schizophrenia and other psychoses. More work is needed to characterize potential forms of mild-to-moderate mental illness. Idioms of distress provide a promising avenue for exploring common mental disorders. Working in Haiti’s Central Plateau, we aimed to identify idioms of distress that represent cultural syndromes. We used ethnographic and epidemiologic methods to explore the idiom of distress reflechi twòp (thinking too much). This syndrome is characterized by troubled rumination at the intersection of sadness, severe mental disorder, suicide, and social and structural hardship. Persons with “thinking too much” have greater scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory. “Thinking too much” is associated with 8 times greater odds of suicidal ideation. Untreated “thinking too much” is sometimes perceived to lead to psychosis. Recognizing and understanding “thinking too much” may allow early clinical recognition and interventions to reduce long-term psychosocial suffering in Haiti’s Central Plateau.
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Explanatory Models and Mental Health Treatment: Is Vodou an Obstacle to Psychiatric Treatment in Rural Haiti?
Culture Medicine and Psychiatry, 2012Co-Authors: Nayla M Khoury, Bonnie N Kaiser, Hunter M Keys, Aimeerika T Brewster, Brandon A KohrtAbstract:Vodou as an explanatory framework for illness has been considered an impediment to biomedical psychiatric treatment in rural Haiti by some scholars and Haitian professionals. According to this perspective, attribution of mental illness to supernatural possession drives individuals to seek care from houngan -s (Vodou priests) and other folk practitioners, rather than physicians, psychologists, or psychiatrists. This study investigates whether explanatory models of mental illness invoking supernatural causation result in care-seeking from folk practitioners and resistance to biomedical treatment. The study comprised 31 semi-structured interviews with community leaders, traditional healers, religious leaders, and biomedical providers, 10 focus group discussions with community members, community health workers, health promoters, community leaders, and church members; and four in-depth case studies of individuals exhibiting mental illness symptoms conducted in Haiti’s Central Plateau. Respondents invoked multiple explanatory models for mental illness and expressed willingness to receive treatment from both traditional and biomedical practitioners. Folk practitioners expressed a desire to collaborate with biomedical providers and often referred patients to hospitals. At the same time, respondents perceived the biomedical system as largely ineffective for treating mental health problems. Explanatory models rooted in Vodou Ethnopsychology were not primary barriers to pursuing psychiatric treatment. Rather, structural factors including scarcity of treatment resources and lack of psychiatric training among health practitioners created the greatest impediments to biomedical care for mental health concerns in rural Haiti.
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idioms of distress Ethnopsychology and the clinical encounter in haiti s central plateau
Social Science & Medicine, 2012Co-Authors: Hunter M Keys, Brandon A Kohrt, Bonnie N Kaiser, Nayla M Khoury, Aimeerika T BrewsterAbstract:Haiti's 2010 earthquake mobilized mental health and psychosocial interventions from across the globe. However, failure to understand how psychological distress is communicated between lay persons and health workers in rural clinics, where most Haitians access care, has been a major limitation in providing mental health services. The goal of this study was to map idioms of distress onto Haitian ethnopsychologies in a way that promotes improved communication between lay persons and clinicians in rural Haiti. In Haiti's Central Plateau, an ethnographic study was conducted in May and June 2010, utilizing participant observation in rural clinics, 31 key informant interviews, 11 focus groups, and four case studies. Key informants included biomedical practitioners, traditional healers, community leaders, and municipal and religious figures. Deductive and inductive themes were coded using content analysis (inter-rater reliability > 0.70). Forty-four terms for psychological distress were identified. Head (tet) or heart (ke) terms comprise 55% of all qualitative text segments coded for idioms of distress. Twenty-eight of 142 observed patient–clinician contacts involved persons presenting with tet terms, while 29 of the 142 contacts were presentations with ke terms. Thus, 40% of chief complaints were conveyed in either head or heart terms. Interpretations of these terms differed between lay and clinical groups. Lay respondents had broad and heterogeneous interpretations, whereas clinicians focused on biomedical concepts and excluded discussion of mental health concerns. This paper outlines preliminary evidence regarding the psychosocial dimensions of tet and ke-based idioms of distress and calls for further exploration. Holistic approaches to mental healthcare in Haiti's Central Plateau should incorporate local ethnopsychological frameworks alongside biomedical models of healthcare.
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applying nepali Ethnopsychology to psychotherapy for the treatment of mental illness and prevention of suicide among bhutanese refugees
The Annals of Anthropological Practice, 2012Co-Authors: Brandon A Kohrt, Sujen M Maharjan, Damber Timsina, James L GriffithAbstract:Addressing mental health needs of 100,000 ethnic Nepali Bhutanese refugees relocated from Nepal is a new challenge for mental health clinicians in the receiving countries. A limitation of current services is the lack of knowledge about cultural understandings of mental health. Ethnopsychology is the study of emotions, suffering, the self, and social relationships from a cultural perspective. Nepali Ethnopsychology can be used to develop and adapt mental health interventions for refugees. We discuss applying Ethnopsychology to provide safe and effective mental healthcare for Bhutanese refugees, including cultural adaptation of cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. Psychological interventions are proposed for the high rates of suicide among Bhutanese refugees. The contribution of Ethnopsychology to applied anthropology and the growing field of neuroanthropology are discussed.
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nepali concepts of psychological trauma the role of idioms of distress Ethnopsychology and ethnophysiology in alleviating suffering and preventing stigma
Culture Medicine and Psychiatry, 2010Co-Authors: Brandon A Kohrt, Daniel J HruschkaAbstract:In the aftermath of a decade-long Maoist civil war in Nepal and the recent relocation of thousands of Bhutanese refugees from Nepal to Western countries, there has been rapid growth of mental health and psychosocial support programs, including posttraumatic stress disorder treatment, for Nepalis and ethnic Nepali Bhutanese. This medical anthropology study describes the process of identifying Nepali idioms of distress and local Ethnopsychology and ethnophysiology models that promote effective communication about psychological trauma in a manner that minimizes stigma for service users. Psychological trauma is shown to be a multifaceted concept that has no single linguistic corollary in the Nepali study population. Respondents articulated different categories of psychological trauma idioms in relation to impact on the heart-mind, brain-mind, body, spirit, and social status, with differences in perceived types of traumatic events, symptom sets, emotion clusters and vulnerability. Trauma survivors felt blamed for experiencing negative events, which were seen as karma transmitting past life sins or family member sins into personal loss. Some families were reluctant to seek care for psychological trauma because of the stigma of revealing this bad karma. In addition, idioms related to brain-mind dysfunction contributed to stigma, while heart-mind distress was a socially acceptable reason for seeking treatment. Different categories of trauma idioms support the need for multidisciplinary treatment with multiple points of service entry.
M M De Pancorbo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Genetic uniqueness of the Waorani tribe from the Ecuadorian Amazon
Heredity, 2012Co-Authors: S Cardoso, M A Alfonso-sánchez, L Valverde, D Sánchez, M T Zarrabeitia, A Odriozola, B Martínez-jarreta, M M De PancorboAbstract:South America and especially the Amazon basin is known to be home to some of the most isolated human groups in the world. Here, we report on a study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the Waorani from Ecuador, probably the most warlike human population known to date. Seeking to look in more depth at the characterization of the genetic diversity of this Native American tribe, molecular markers from the X and Y chromosomes were also analyzed. Only three different mtDNA haplotypes were detected among the Waorani sample. One of them, assigned to Native American haplogroup A2, accounted for more than 94% of the total diversity of the maternal gene pool. Our results for sex chromosome molecular markers failed to find close genetic kinship between individuals, further emphasizing the low genetic diversity of the mtDNA. Bearing in mind the results obtained for both the analysis of the mtDNA control region and complete mitochondrial genomes, we suggest the existence of a ‘Waorani-specific’ mtDNA lineage. According to current knowledge on the phylogeny of haplogroup A2, we propose that this lineage could be designated as subhaplogroup A2s. Its wide predominance among the Waorani people might have been conditioned by severe genetic drift episodes resulting from founding events, long-term isolation and a traditionally small population size most likely associated with the striking ethnography of this Amazonian community. In all, the Waorani constitute a fine example of how genetic imprint may mirror Ethnopsychology and sociocultural features in human populations.
Rolando Díaz-loving - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Contributions of Mexican Ethnopsychology to the Resolution of the Etic-Emic Dilemma in Personality
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1998Co-Authors: Rolando Díaz-lovingAbstract:The controversy over the existence of etic (universal) and emic (idiosyncratic) psychological concepts and principles can be best resolved empirically. Data and theory pertinent to the generalizability or specificity of theory and measurements in the area of personality are presented. The study of personality traits involves at least two fundamental aspects: (a) the conceptualization of the construct and its characteristics, and (b) the operationalization of constructs, usually through objective psychological tests. From the cultural perspective, it is indispensable to assess the validity of the universalistic (etic) or the particularistic (emic) approach to the various psychological concepts and phenomena. In an effort to clarify this problem, Mexican findings that support the need for the development of "ethnopsychologies" to explain the interaction of psychological phenomena and social and cultural contexts are presented.
Sérgio Arthuro Mota-rolim - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Sleep paralysis in Brazilian folklore and other cultures: a brief review
Frontiers Media S.A., 2016Co-Authors: Sérgio Arthuro Mota-rolimAbstract:Sleep paralysis (SP) is a dissociative state that occurs mainly during awakening. SP is characterized by altered motor, perceptual, emotional and cognitive functions, such as inability to perform voluntary movements, visual hallucinations, feelings of chest pressure, delusions about a frightening presence and, in some cases, fear of impending death. Most people experience SP rarely, but typically when sleeping in supine position; however, SP is considered a disease (parasomnia) when recurrent and/or associated to emotional burden. Interestingly, throughout human history, different peoples interpreted SP under a supernatural view. For example, Canadian Eskimos attribute SP to spells of shamans, who hinder the ability to move, and provoke hallucinations of a shapeless presence. In the Japanese tradition, SP is due to a vengeful spirit who suffocates his enemies while sleeping. In Nigerian culture, a female demon attacks during dreaming and provokes paralysis. A modern manifestation of SP is the report of alien abductions, experienced as inability to move during awakening associated with visual hallucinations of aliens. Furthermore, SP is a significant example of how a specific biological phenomenon can be interpreted and shaped by different cultural contexts. In order to further explore the Ethnopsychology of SP, the Pisadeira, a character of Brazilian folklore originated in the country’s Southeast, but also found in other regions with variant names, has been reviewed. Pisadeira is described as a crone with long fingernails who lurks on roofs at night and tramples on the chest of those who sleep on a full stomach with the belly up. This legend is mentioned in many anthropological accounts; however, we found no comprehensive reference on the Pisadeira from the perspective of sleep science. Here we aim to fill this gap. We first review the neuropsychological aspects of SP, and then present the folk tale of the Pisadeira. Finally, we summarize the many historical and artistic manifestations of SP in different cultures, emphasizing the similarities and differences with the Pisadeira
Hunter M Keys - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Reflechi twòp—Thinking Too Much: Description of a Cultural Syndrome in Haiti’s Central Plateau
Culture Medicine and Psychiatry, 2014Co-Authors: Bonnie N Kaiser, Brandon A Kohrt, Nayla M Khoury, Kristen E. Mclean, Ashley K. Hagaman, Bradley H. Wagenaar, Hunter M KeysAbstract:A rich Haitian Ethnopsychology has been described, detailing concepts of personhood, explanatory models of illness, and links between mind and body. However, little research has engaged explicitly with mental illness, and that which does focuses on the Kreyòl term fou (madness), a term that psychiatrists associate with schizophrenia and other psychoses. More work is needed to characterize potential forms of mild-to-moderate mental illness. Idioms of distress provide a promising avenue for exploring common mental disorders. Working in Haiti’s Central Plateau, we aimed to identify idioms of distress that represent cultural syndromes. We used ethnographic and epidemiologic methods to explore the idiom of distress reflechi twòp (thinking too much). This syndrome is characterized by troubled rumination at the intersection of sadness, severe mental disorder, suicide, and social and structural hardship. Persons with “thinking too much” have greater scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory. “Thinking too much” is associated with 8 times greater odds of suicidal ideation. Untreated “thinking too much” is sometimes perceived to lead to psychosis. Recognizing and understanding “thinking too much” may allow early clinical recognition and interventions to reduce long-term psychosocial suffering in Haiti’s Central Plateau.
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Explanatory Models and Mental Health Treatment: Is Vodou an Obstacle to Psychiatric Treatment in Rural Haiti?
Culture Medicine and Psychiatry, 2012Co-Authors: Nayla M Khoury, Bonnie N Kaiser, Hunter M Keys, Aimeerika T Brewster, Brandon A KohrtAbstract:Vodou as an explanatory framework for illness has been considered an impediment to biomedical psychiatric treatment in rural Haiti by some scholars and Haitian professionals. According to this perspective, attribution of mental illness to supernatural possession drives individuals to seek care from houngan -s (Vodou priests) and other folk practitioners, rather than physicians, psychologists, or psychiatrists. This study investigates whether explanatory models of mental illness invoking supernatural causation result in care-seeking from folk practitioners and resistance to biomedical treatment. The study comprised 31 semi-structured interviews with community leaders, traditional healers, religious leaders, and biomedical providers, 10 focus group discussions with community members, community health workers, health promoters, community leaders, and church members; and four in-depth case studies of individuals exhibiting mental illness symptoms conducted in Haiti’s Central Plateau. Respondents invoked multiple explanatory models for mental illness and expressed willingness to receive treatment from both traditional and biomedical practitioners. Folk practitioners expressed a desire to collaborate with biomedical providers and often referred patients to hospitals. At the same time, respondents perceived the biomedical system as largely ineffective for treating mental health problems. Explanatory models rooted in Vodou Ethnopsychology were not primary barriers to pursuing psychiatric treatment. Rather, structural factors including scarcity of treatment resources and lack of psychiatric training among health practitioners created the greatest impediments to biomedical care for mental health concerns in rural Haiti.
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idioms of distress Ethnopsychology and the clinical encounter in haiti s central plateau
Social Science & Medicine, 2012Co-Authors: Hunter M Keys, Brandon A Kohrt, Bonnie N Kaiser, Nayla M Khoury, Aimeerika T BrewsterAbstract:Haiti's 2010 earthquake mobilized mental health and psychosocial interventions from across the globe. However, failure to understand how psychological distress is communicated between lay persons and health workers in rural clinics, where most Haitians access care, has been a major limitation in providing mental health services. The goal of this study was to map idioms of distress onto Haitian ethnopsychologies in a way that promotes improved communication between lay persons and clinicians in rural Haiti. In Haiti's Central Plateau, an ethnographic study was conducted in May and June 2010, utilizing participant observation in rural clinics, 31 key informant interviews, 11 focus groups, and four case studies. Key informants included biomedical practitioners, traditional healers, community leaders, and municipal and religious figures. Deductive and inductive themes were coded using content analysis (inter-rater reliability > 0.70). Forty-four terms for psychological distress were identified. Head (tet) or heart (ke) terms comprise 55% of all qualitative text segments coded for idioms of distress. Twenty-eight of 142 observed patient–clinician contacts involved persons presenting with tet terms, while 29 of the 142 contacts were presentations with ke terms. Thus, 40% of chief complaints were conveyed in either head or heart terms. Interpretations of these terms differed between lay and clinical groups. Lay respondents had broad and heterogeneous interpretations, whereas clinicians focused on biomedical concepts and excluded discussion of mental health concerns. This paper outlines preliminary evidence regarding the psychosocial dimensions of tet and ke-based idioms of distress and calls for further exploration. Holistic approaches to mental healthcare in Haiti's Central Plateau should incorporate local ethnopsychological frameworks alongside biomedical models of healthcare.