Somatization as cultural idiom of distress: rethinking mind and body in a multicultural society

Abstract

This paper is a critique of the cross-cultural utility and validity of somatization in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders. Somatization is defined as the process by which psychological distress is expressed as physical symptoms that have no known organic basis. Rather than a phenomenon limited to non-western cultures as commonly thought of in the past, somatization should be recognized as a universal experience found across cultures. It underscores the significant interrelationships between the mind/psyche and the body, an area embraced by some disciplines such as Jungian psychology and psychotherapy, but historically neglected by bioscience. This paper argues that the reputedly low prevalence of somatization observed in western cultures is an artifact, due to the overly restrictive diagnostic criteria used in clinical practice. This paper argues in favor of the retention of somatization as a valid concept in diagnosis, treatment, and in psychotherapy, especially at a time of increasing cultural diversity.

Keywords:

• somatization
• somatoform disorder
• mind
• body
• culture
• therapy

Declaration of interest : The author reports no conflict of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.