Insight in people with psychosis: The influence of culture

TY - JOUR

T1 - Insight in people with psychosis: The influence of culture

AU - Saravanan, B

AU - David, A

AU - Bhugra, D

AU - Prince, M

AU - Jacob, K S

PY - 2005/4

Y1 - 2005/4

N2 - The assessment of insight is a part of the routine clinical examination for people with mental illness. Such assessment, by psychiatrists, is based on the current definitions of insight, which rely on western notions of health and illness. This paper discusses the recent findings of explanatory models of people with a variety of physical diseases in Vellore, India. It also summaries the results of studies on insight in schizophrenia, which examined explanatory models of illness among patients, relatives, and the general population, in Vellore. The findings argue for the fact that the assessment of insight should be against the local cultural standards rather than universal yardsticks

AB - The assessment of insight is a part of the routine clinical examination for people with mental illness. Such assessment, by psychiatrists, is based on the current definitions of insight, which rely on western notions of health and illness. This paper discusses the recent findings of explanatory models of people with a variety of physical diseases in Vellore, India. It also summaries the results of studies on insight in schizophrenia, which examined explanatory models of illness among patients, relatives, and the general population, in Vellore. The findings argue for the fact that the assessment of insight should be against the local cultural standards rather than universal yardsticks

U2 - 10.1080/09540260500073596

DO - 10.1080/09540260500073596

M3 - Article

SN - 1369-1627

VL - 17

SP - 83

EP - 87

JO - International Review of Psychiatry

JF - International Review of Psychiatry

IS - 2

ER -