"The Western gaze"--an analysis of medical research publications concerning the expressions of depression, focusing on ethnicity and gender.
Our aim of this study was to explore how authors of medical articles wrote about different symptoms and expressions of depression in men and women from various ethnic groups as well as to analyze the meaning of gender and ethnicity for expressions of depression. A database search was carried out using PubMed. Thirty articles were identified and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Approaches differ with regard to how depression is described and interpreted in different cultures in relation to illness complaints, illness meaning, and diagnosis of depression. Articles often present issues based on a Western point of view. This may lead to "cultural or gender gaps," which we refer to as "the Western gaze," which may in turn influence the diagnosis of depression.
Lehti
Arja Helena
AH
Division of Family Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. arja.lehti@vll.se
Johansson
Eva E
EE
Bengs
Carita
C
Danielsson
Ulla
U
Hammarström
Anne
A
D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011287:Prejudice; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design; D012737:Sex Factors; D012945:Social Values; D013240:Stereotyping; D019366:Western World; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*