Physical Health + Mental Health

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Culture-Gene Co-Evolution

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The idea that among humans, culture and genes evolve in tandem. Humans have evolved genetically to be better able to learn cultural information and as their culture evolves it increases their fitness. Moreover, humans have become so dependent on culture that their culture has become a selective force on their genes.

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Epidemiological Paradox

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The surprisingly healthy outcomes of Latinos despite having low-than-average socioeconomic status.

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French Paradox

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The fact tha despite eating a cuisine that's rich in fat, French people have low obseity rates and relatively long lifespans.

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Agonias

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An anxiety disorder that can include a wide array of symptoms such as a burning sensation, a loss of breath, hysterical blindness, sleeping disorders, and eating disorders.

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Amok

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A phenomenon found in Southeast Asia whereby an individual has an acute outburst of indiscriminate violence followed by amnesia and exhaustion.

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Anorexia Nervosa

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An eating disorder characterized by a refusal to maintain a normal (high enough) bodyweight; and intense fear of gaining weight; denial of the seriousness of one's low body weight; and, for postmenarcheal females, missing three consecutive menstrual cycles.

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Ataques De Nervios

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A condition in which emotionally charged incidents bring on symptoms such as palpitation, numbness, and a sense of heat rising to the head.

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Bulimia Nervosa

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An eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating along with recurrent inappropriate behaviours to prevent weight gain (e.g. induced vomiting), which happen at least twice a week for 3 months; a self-evaluation unduly influenced by one's body weight; and no concurrent dianosis of anorexia nervosa.

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Cultural Competence

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This entails a recognition of one's own cultural influences, knowledge about the cultural background of one's client, and skills to intervene in therapy session in relevant and culturally sensitive ways.

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Culture-Bound Syndromes

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Groups of symptoms that appear to be greatly influenced by cultural factors, and hence occur far less frequently in some cultures than others, or manifest in highly divergent ways across cultures.

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Dhat Syndrome

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A cultural-bound syndrome, most common in South Asia, in which men develop mordbid anxiety around concerns that they are losing semen.

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Frigophobia

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A morbid fear of catching a cold, which leads people to dress themselves in heavy coats and scarves even in the summer.

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Hikikomori

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A culture-bound syndrome, largely limited to Japan, in which people, most often adolescent boys, impose a self-incarceration and withdraw from all social interaction for an extended period of time.

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Koro

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A culture bound syndrome, largely found in South and East Asia, in which men become morbidly anxious that their penis is retracting into their body.

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Kufungisisa

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An anxiety and somatic disorder in Zimbabwe believed to be caused by excessive thinking. Variants of this disorder are found in several other cultures of the world.

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Latah

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A condition in which an individual falls ito a transient dissociated state in which he or she exhibits unusual behaviour after some kind of startling event.

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Malgri

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A syndrome of territorial anxiety in which an individual grows physically sick, tired, and drowsy when entering the sea or a new territory without engaging in the appropriate ceremonial procedures.

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Psychologization

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When symptoms of an illness are primarily experienced psychologically rather than physically.

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Social Anxiety Disorder

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A fear that one is in danger of acting in an inept and unacceptable manner, and that such behaviour will bring disastrous social consequences.

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Somatization

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When symptoms of an illness are primarily experiences physically rather than psychologically.

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Susto

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A condition in which an individual feels that a frightening experience has dislodged the soul from his or her body, leading to a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms.

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Taijin Kyoufushou

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Also known as TKS, a disorder similar to social anxiety disorder in that it involves fear elicited by social situations, but it is also characterized by physical symptoms, including extensive blushing, body odor, sweating, and a penetrating gaze.

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Voodoo Death

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A condition in which an individual is convinced that he or she has been cursed or has broken a taboo, which results in a severe level of fear that sometimes leads to death.

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Neuroticism

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A psychiatric condition characterized as a nervous syndrome consisting of over 50 symptoms, including poor appetite, headaches, insomnia, weakness in the back, hysteria, and an inability to concentrate.