Culture and Health

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Culture and Health

• Chapter 8

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Culture and suicide

• Although suicidal behavior is found across all
  cultures. The rate, reasons, and methods of
  suicide vary.
• There is no consistent relationship between
  degree of industrialization and rate of suicide.
• Preferred methods also vary across cultures. For
  example, hanging is preferred in Africa, whereas
  in Thailand and India ingestion of insecticides
  is common.

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Culture and suicide

• Reasons for committing suicide vary from
  performance failure (Sweden) to the loss of an
  important other on whom the person is dependent
  (Denmark).
• Several people may commit suicide in Japan
  together. An example is family suicide, in which
  the parents commit suicide and also kill the
  children in the belief that the children share
  their sorrows and would rather die than live
  without their parents.

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Suicide Risk Factors

• Age. Among Caucasians, college students and the
  elderly are in especially high-risk groups. Among
  American Indians, youth are at higher risk.
• Gender. Women attempt suicide 3 times more often
  than men. Men complete suicide about 4 times more
  often than women.

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Suicide Risk Factors

• Marital status. Divorced and separated people are
  at higher risk.
• Employment status. Unemployed and retired
  individuals are at higher suicide risk.
• Socioeconomic Status. Higher suicide rates are
  more associated with wealth, while higher
  homicide rates are associated with poverty.

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Suicide Risk Factors

• Sexual Orientation. Although it is somewhat
  controversial, it appears that youth struggling
  with sexual identity issues are at greater
  suicide risk.
• Substance Abuse. Substance abusers are more
  likely to commit suicide.

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Assessing Suicide Plans

• Suicide plans can be assessed using the following
  acronym S-L-A-P.
• Specificity of suicidal plan.
• Lethality of plan.
• Availability of plan.
• Proximity of social support/intervention
  resources.

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Cross-Cultural Perspective on Stress

• Culture has been found to affect the perception
  of situations as stressful, the specific reaction
  to stress, and the magnitude of the reaction.
• For example, research has indicated that the
  Japanese rate the degree of stress associated
  with some life events differently from Americans.
  Japanese rated borrowing money and being in jail
  as higher sources of stress than Americans.
• The interpretation of stress has also been found
  to vary between Japanese and American samples.
  Japanese students tend to associate depression
  with external factors and body complaints,
  whereas Americans were more likely to associate
  it with internal mood states.

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Drug Abuse and Use Across Cultures

• Culture appears to affect drug abuse in the
  choice of drugs and frequency of abuse.
• How?? What do you think?
• Who is more likely to abuse drugs. Males or
  females? Why?
• Research indicated that drug abuse may be a
  result of cultural factors, a result of
  availability of the drug, or a temporary
  occurrence due to transient conditions in the
  culture.

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Drug Abuse and Use Across Cultures

• One factor that has been found to be related to
  drug use in many cultures is the exposure of
  individuals to drug use by others, what is often
  referred to in the literature as the "drug
  culture."
• Regardless of the specific culture being studied,
  researchers have found that drug use is greatest
  in urban areas and significantly less in rural
  areas.
• This difference is often explained as being at
  least partially a function of the increased
  likelihood of exposure to the drug culture in
  urban areas.

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Culture and Alcohol Use

• The primary manner in which a culture affects
  alcoholism is through its attitudes toward
  drinking. (4 attitudes)
• Complete abstinence. The use of alcohol is not
  permitted for any purpose, usually because of
  religious reasons. The total prohibition is
  usually unevenly enforced and may, in some cases,
  encourage what it is designed to prevent. Data on
  alcoholism in such cultures are difficult to
  obtain, but the problem is noted routinely.
• Ritual attitude. Here, alcohol use is mandated at
  certain ceremonies, again usually because of
  religious reasons. The orthodox Jews (for
  example), who have a very low rate of alcoholism.

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Culture and Alcohol Use

• Convivial drinking. This category is best
  described as social drinking, with elements of
  group solidarity and good feelings expected. This
  type of attitude in many cultures that have
  moderate rates of alcoholism.
• Utilitarian attitude. With this type of attitude,
  drinking has a purpose such as medicinal or
  business-related. However, this attitude leads
  to no restrictions on drinking and suggests to
  individuals that drinking can be a cure for any
  problem, resulting in high rates of alcoholism,
  as in the Irish.

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Other health concerns

• AIDS
• Diabetes (sugar)
• Cancer
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Organ donation or lack thereof
• Others

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