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| Category: Spirituality And Psychology |
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| About the Book | |
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The literature review covers a number of fields of literature relevant to the cross-cultural study of depression, notably debates and research in the fields of cultural anthropology, including medical anthropology, cross-cultural psychology and transcultural psychiatry. The interdisciplinary approach that characterizes the treatment of the literature is impressive. It demonstrates a good grasp of key concepts such as category fallacy, validity of survey instruments, somatisation, and the issues surrounding the so-called "culture-bound syndromes". The review of the literature is comprehensive and logically locates the research question in a competent analysis of the broader theoretical explanations of how cultural meanings shape the experience and expression of emotion. The candidate shows interdisciplinary skills integrating the relevant research in a wide ranging field resulting in an original review that identifies the shortcomings and contradictions concerning the Western diagnostic criteria for depression, and the appropriateness of using these measures to determine emotional distress in other cultural settings. The candidate coherently examines the studies of the cross-cultural differences in the experience of depression relevant for her research – the first exploration of how Filipino Australians understand and express ‘depression’ – identifying the key methodological concerns, underpinning the growing body of studies that posit that depression is not a universal condition across cultures, but is expressed and responded to differently by different cultural groups. While being careful not to over-generalize her research findings the candidate skillfully integrates her results in an imaginative and fresh perspective that highlights the inconsistencies of the Western definitive criteria for ‘depression’, questioning the usefulness of this measure to assess emotional distress in other cultural settings and effectively arguing that depression is not a universally definable concept.
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| About the Author | |
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Desiree Pascale’s background in Psychology provided her with a comprehensive skill base across health science, organizational behaviour, injury management, and occupational rehabilitation. She is adept in the management of extensive strategic cases and operational experience of Workers Compensation and Injury Management processes. |