Doctors in some instances overlook the element of the client’s socio-cultural factors in assessing, evaluating, interpreting, and diagnosing the client’s symptoms. Many psychologists opt to use biomedical models when giving a final diagnosis of symptoms. This is because biomedical perspectives in understanding health issues have received great publicity in the recent past probably due to the practical aspect of it. However, integrating socio-cultural factors in diagnosing a client’s symptoms is very important. Socio-cultural models of psychology involve establishing socio-cultural influences that may have contributed to a given condition. According to Uskul and Sherman (2009), to develop a significant discernment of health and illnesses, we need to view the issue from both theoretical and applied perspectives. The theoretical point of view incorporates intense research to understand medicine in a better way. On the other hand, from the applied standpoint, understanding health incorporates the element of socio-cultural factors that contribute to health.
Health transcends physiology and incorporates other factors like environment and culture. Furthermore, some diseases are prevalent in some cultural settings and they seem to be non-existent in others. For instance, anorexia is rife in developed western settings while it does not seem to be a problem in African settings (Uskul and Sherman, 2009). Therefore, understanding the underlying socio-cultural factors in relation to these disorders makes health provision more efficient. Including these socio-cultural factors in the empirical work fosters cognition in health issues and determining cultural deviations in health-tied experiences. The big question remains; how does understanding and incorporating socio-cultural and stress models in diagnosis relevant? How relevant is this integration in the concerted efforts to give a better diagnosis? Well, there is solid proof through research work to substantiate the argument that socio-cultural factors contribute largely to the wellbeing of an individual as discussed next.
In research commissioned and funded by the Russell Sage Foundation of New York, researchers established that culture influences one’s health and wellbeing greatly (Schlesinger, 1968, p. 247). Culture functions as an insidious but systematic determinant regarding how people comprehend the world environing them. According to Gochman (1988), socio-cultural factors shape beliefs concerning the cause of sickness and the suitable forms of treatment (p. 249). Therefore, it is important to consider the client’s socio-cultural context in assessing, evaluating, and diagnosing symptoms. Cultural factors determine largely whether a patient is sensitive to the methods used to evaluate symptoms and this contributes largely to whether a patient will seek medical care or not (Gochman, 1988, p. 249).
The type of treatment chosen, the expected emotional expression, and the vehemence placed on decision-making, whether individual or collective, are part of cultural influences. Moreover, management of given sicknesses and the perceived outcome of the management procedure is a cultural phenomenon. Depending on what people believe in as defined by their cultures, they will respond differently to a given situation. The process of assessing and evaluating of client’s symptoms involves engaging the client in a talk to reveal more about the condition. A given socio-cultural setting may not embrace the issue of talking about some conditions openly. The doctor may have a difficult time assessing the patient due to a lack of information. However, with good knowledge of socio-cultural information about the client, it becomes easy to assess the patient.
It is evident that people have cultural guides that make them realize when regarded as sick, the causes of the sickness, the appropriate remedies, and how society expects them to behave in such situations. However, despite the strong link between socio-cultural factors and one’s wellbeing, it is important to establish whether these factors play any significant role in the expression of symptoms that may be useful in diagnosis. Different studies have shown that the readiness of an individual to show a given condition as a symptom depends on, and varies with socio-cultural settings (Gochman, 1988, p. 250). For instance, the expression of pain as a symptom differs from culture to culture depending on attitudes towards pain and the meaning attached to it. Different socio-cultural settings respond to pain differently depending on their behaviors and definition of pain. Therefore, in diagnosing a client, it is recommendable to learn his or her socio-cultural setting and establish their attitudes towards the same.
The other important aspect of socio-cultural influences on health is how individuals are willing to confer with a doctor and the subsequent utilization of healthcare facilities available. According to Gochman (1988), come critical aspects concerning a given sickness depend mostly on socio-cultural subsets (p. 250). These aspects include knowledge of a given sickness and its cure or prevention, medical incredulity, response to sicknesses. These aspects differ from culture to culture. Research indicates that within any given culture, there are distinct constructs of diseases and socio-cultural conventions in seeking help. All these factors assert the need to incorporate one’s socio-cultural information in the diagnosis of a particular ailment. Good knowledge of one’s socio-cultural setting provides the doctor with ample information to evaluate a patient. What do the stress models of psychology present on the importance of evaluating a client’s socio-cultural context in diagnosis?
The stress model of psychology adds more weight in considering the client’s socio-cultural context in diagnosis. Carpi (2006) concurs that the consequences of stress are more profound than people tend to think. Stress is not something that grips somebody and leaves passively with time. It permeates the core of one’s being changing the way he or she thinks, speak, feel or respond to particular issues. Stress is a disease. People respond to stress in a similar manner by which they respond to allergies (Carpi, 2006). Once stress occurs, the body undergoes a series of chemical reactions that may lead to sickness. It is difficult to divorce stress from common ailments and sicknesses. Some diseases like schizophrenia have a strong link with stress. This is a type of mental disease that arises when an individual losses touch with reality (Chamorro-Premuzic, 1996, p. 56). According to Carpi (2006), stress triggers critical areas of the brain like areas responsible for immune response. This creates a strong link between stress and diseases. Understanding and incorporating stress models in diagnosis thus becomes important in evaluating and assessing a patient.
The commonly known model is the ‘diathesis stress model’. According to Bennett (2006), diathesis stress model indicates that there is a predisposition which upon interaction with environmental factors, cause psychological disorders. In this model, the degree of the predisposing factors differs from person to the other. These predisposing factors are not sufficient to cause illnesses alone. Nemade, Reiss and Dombeck 92007), insists that other factors like psychological or environmental nature have to work with these predisposing factors to cause sickness. Stress and depression may act as the psychological factors in this context. Therefore, proper knowledge on one’s environment and the potential predisposing factors is important conclusive assessment, evaluation and diagnosis. This is because a doctor will be working on pinpointed areas rather than working on broad information regarding the patient.
As aforementioned, stress thus becomes a sickness. For instance, a person could experience stressful conditions like job loss and respond to it with anger and resentment instead of adopting healthy problem solving strategy. Despite the fact that this reaction maybe conscious or unconscious, there will be a maintained psychological arousal, that may lead to anxiety disorder. In diagnosing such illnesses, the empirical data from biomedical studies may not be sufficient to give sufficient diagnosis. A thorough knowledge of stress model of psychology and incorporation of the same in diagnosis, gives better results.
From the above discussion, it is evident that socio-cultural context of a client plays a crucial role in diagnosing a given disease. The evidence from both socio-cultural and stress models of psychology adds more weight on the importance of considering these aspects in the course of diagnosis. It is evident that health issues transcend physiology. Socio-cultural factors play a central role in determining the course taken in overcoming a given sickness. Research indicates that in every socio-cultural setting, there is a way by which individuals understand certain diseases. There is also enough evidence to conclude that socio-cultural factors affect one’s well-being. Moreover, some diseases are prevalent in some socio-cultural settings and not in others. This tells us that it is important to integrate one’s socio-cultural background in diagnosis. Integrating the socio-cultural background of a patient in diagnosis narrows the whole issue to specific areas handling them from the roots. Ignoring socio-cultural context of a client would be tantamount to addressing the face value of a problem.
Reference
Bennett, P. (2006). Abnormal and Clinical Psychology: An Introductory Textbook.
Carpi, J. (2006). Stress: It’s Worse Than You Think. Web.
Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (1996). Personality and Individual Differences.Web.
Gochman, S. (1988). Health Behavior: Emerging Research Perspectives. Web.
Nemade, R. Reiss, N. & Dombeck, M. (2007). Current Understandings of Major Depression – Diathesis-Stress Model. Web.
Schlesinger, B. (1968). Socio-cultural Factors in Health and Illness: A Selected Review of the Literature. Web.
Uskul, A. & Sherman, D. (2009). Culture and Health Psychology: Insights from a Socio-Cultural Perspective. Web.