MEANING AND CONTEXT IN THE STUDY OF PSYCH IATRIC-DISORDERS - TOWARD NEW MODELS

In drawing the attention on the role of context, meaning and values in the genesis and evolution of psychiatric disorders, recent studies in transcultural psychiatry reinforce a research paradigm emerging from a set of recent works in Western societies. They evidence the importan ce to deepen the study of these dimensions and to develop new approach es more attuned with the complexity of phenomena and integrating a div ersity of methods and perspectives. They also invite to develop new mo des of intervention building on insights gained from these studies. To illustrate this position, the authors refer to two main areas located at two seemingly opposed poles in their etiology: war trauma among re fugees, which affect whole communities and depend in a major way of en vironmental forces; schizophrenia where the weight of biological, indi vidual and family, variables appear especially great. In each of these areas the authors draw a picture of some recent lines of research and indicate questions arising from the application of Western-based conc epts to different cultures. They also derive implications regarding th e need to broaden prevalent research models.