title: Cultural differences in the development and characteristics of depression.
abstract: Depression is a highly prevalent mental illness with increasing burden for the patients, their families and society as well. In spite of its increasing importance, we still do not have complete understanding either of the phenomenology or the etiopathological background of depression, and cross-country, cross-ethnic and cross-cultural differences in the prevalence and symptomatic manifestation of depression further obscure this picture. Culturally-related features of depressive illness are gaining more importance in clinical practice with the increasing migration trends worldwide. In spite of the differences replicated in multiple studies, no exhaustive explanations are offered so far. In the present paper we describe the most consistently replicated findings concerning the most important cross-national differences in the rates and characteristics of depression with a short comment on possible background factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Juhasz
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eszlari
authors.forename: Dorottya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pap
authors.forename: Xenia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gonda
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D006167:Guilt; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology; D009656:North America / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation