“I Think Too Much” – Culture, Trauma, and Expressions of Distress.

Abstract

The 21st century has seen a dramatic increase in chronic non-infectious diseases, and medical anthropologists have noted a rise, particularly, in the area of mental health. Past studies have shown that a lack of cultural understanding of trauma narratives resulted in non- or mis-diagnosis which ultimately has negative repercussions. Culturally specific and appropriate understandings of trauma narratives are necessary for correct diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic manuals, such as the DSM and ICD, rooted in Western culture thrive on their universal nature, however, they are exclusionary to non-Western societies ignoring cultural and spiritual elements that are embedded in understandings and treatment of trauma. This paper draws on the experiences and understandings of trauma from the perspective of South Africans who have non-Western cultural affiliations. Distress has its own language and expression according to culture. Cultural practices provide a safe haven from distress and help us to make sense of what we are experiencing enabling healing and closure in their processes. This paper draws from several in-depth semi-structured interviews, with South Africans from differing cultural backgrounds, conducted over the course of six months. The results of the study reflect that the structure of trauma narratives are heavily influenced by cultural concepts and contexts, illustrating that cultural awareness and appropriateness is important when engaging with trauma discourse. Through the ethnographic study of trauma narratives, anthropologists have an important role to play in the global mental health crisis. This paper, therefore, posits that cultural awareness of perspectives of trauma must be brought into curriculum, especially in the discipline of Psychology, in order to ensure that treatment, intervention, and prevention strategies are culturally aligned for success.

Keywords: trauma, culture, distress, cultural appropriateness, anthropology of distress, mental health.