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Published Online: 19 November 2004

Culture May Be Reflected in Symptoms

While treating Asian patients with mental illness, psychiatrists may encounter some of the following culture-bound syndromes, according to Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D.:
Ainu occurs in Japanese women and includes startle responses, automatic response to commands, and utterances of obscenities.
Hsieh-Ping is a trancelike state in which Chinese men believe they are possessed by dead relatives.
Koro is a panic state experienced by Southeast-Asian men who believe their penis is shrinking.
Hwa-Bung affects people from Korea and includes symptoms that overlap with the DSM-IV criteria for major depression, including dysphoric mood, irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating.
Dhat syndrome occurs in Indian men and is characterized by the belief that semen is lost in the urine, resulting in a depletion of physical and mental energy.

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Published online: 19 November 2004
Published in print: November 19, 2004

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