Journal de médecine générale

Early Psychosis in People from Chinese Backgrounds Around the World

Abstract

Huijun Li, Jackie Robison, Grace Min, Lawrence Yang and Larry J Seidman

Studies of the early phase of psychosis reveal that culturally relevant beliefs and practices are related to attitudes toward these symptoms and to help-seeking behaviors. Therefore, a systematic and comprehensive literature review will help to develop more culturally sensitive clinical approaches to serving patients and their family members and lay a foundation for conducting culturally relevant research. Our primary aim was to provide a review of cultural factors of patients with a duration of fewer than 5 years of illness (early psychosis), from Chinese backgrounds around the world. Five themes were identified related to culturally relevant beliefs and practices and help-seeking behaviors among patients with early psychosis and their families: These themes included expressed emotions, caregivers’ experience, help-seeking pathways, quality of life, and duration of untreated psychosis. Directions for future research and clinical practice were presented.