ABSTRACT
Researchers have increasingly examined cultural influences in psychopathology. Most reviews of culture, ethnicity, and mental disorders refer to the findings from the World Health Organization and Epidemiological Catchment Area studies to address how social, ethnic, and cultural factors are related to the distribution of psychopathology. Available studies indicate that research on immigration and acculturation can contribute much to the understanding of how the social world and psychopathology interrelate. Cultural psychopathology research can serve as an important site for integrating ethnographic, observational, clinical, and epidemiological research approaches. The chapter describes the study of anxiety, schizophrenia, and childhood psychopathology. Culture is important in a number of domains within psychopathology research. The ultimate goal of cultural psychopathology research is to alleviate suffering and improve people’s lives. This requires attention to the multiple levels of individual, family, community, and the broader social and political system.
