Paper short abstract:

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, whose treatment in the West is based mostly on medication, while most people feel unable to get access to psychological treatment. This paper aims at shedding light on the role of culture and personality in understanding this disorder in depth.

Paper long abstract:

Schizophrenia refers to a severe mental disorder that affects the way a person perceives the world. It is a challenging disorder characterized by lots of misconceptions whose causes are still largely unknown. Despite the evolution of the West Sciences, medication still keeps the primary therapy for psychosis in the West overlooking vital issues, such as how people make sense of what has happened to them.

According to the British Psychological Society's report most people are unable to get access to psychological treatment. The most significant finding of this report is the need to concentrate on helping each person to make sense of their experience, emphasizing the role of culture in understanding this disorder in depth.

Luhrman (2014) drawing from her research, argues that people who suffer from schizophrenia, may hear "voices" differently depending on cultural context, giving as example that the voices are harsher in the United States and more benign in Africa and India.

Therefore, a fuller understanding of schizophrenia and the human psychological and social behavior through a cross-cultural perspective, will open a window for substituting the Western paternal treatment with a more empowering treatment, that focuses on the way we as a society think about and contribute to 'psychosis' and 'schizophrenia.

References

Cooke, A. 2014,Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia. Division of Clinical Psychology

Luhrmann, T. M. & Padmavati, R. & Tharoor, H. & Osei A, 2014 Differences in voice-hearing experiences of people with psychosis in the USA, India and Ghana: interview-based study. The Royal College of Psychiatrists