Cross-cultural considerations in community psychiatry

With the advent of community psychiatry it has become imperative to reconsider the role and meaning of such basic concepts as ego development, oedipal conflicts, object relations, etc. So much of life in the ghetto has been reduced merely to the struggle for survival. This is even more dramatically evident in dealing with the emotional and behavioral problems encountered among the children. Psychological intervention in any dimension must recognize and adapt or redefine these concepts within the context of the particular cultural and social environment. This varies widely when dominated by violence, disruption, and chaotic life experiences. Cases are cited to demonstrate the problems facing the practitioner who must attempt to treat a host of multi-faceted problem areas.