title: [Culture and mental health in Haiti : a literature review].
abstract: This paper reviews and summarizes the available literature on Haitian mental health and mental health services. This review was conducted in light of the Haitian earthquake in January 2010. We searched Medline, Google Scholar and other available databases to gather scholarly literature relevant to mental health in Haiti. This was supplemented by consultation of key books and grey literature relevant to Haiti. The first part of the review describes historical, economic, sociological and anthropological factors essential to a basic understanding of Haiti and its people. This includes discussion of demography, family structure, Haitian economics and religion. The second part of the review focuses on mental health and mental health services. This includes a review of factors such as basic epidemiology of mental illness, common beliefs about mental illness, explanatory models, idioms of distress, help-seeking behavior, configuration of mental health services and the relationship between religion and mental health.
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche sur la culture et la santé mentale, Département de psychiatrie, Hôpital général juif, Montréal Division de psychiatrie sociale et interculturelle.
authors.forename: Andrena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pierre
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Minn
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sterlin
authors.forename: Pascale C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Annoual
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaimes
authors.forename: Frantz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raphaël
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raikhel
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whitley
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rousseau
authors.forename: Laurence J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kirmayer
mesh_terms: D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005195:Family Relations; D006205:Haiti; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services; D012067:Religion