A review on somatic symptoms and emotion regulation from a cultural perspective

The purpose of this review is to review the current literature on the relationship between somatization and emotional processes in different cultures.

This study used a narrative approach by reviewing the existing theoretical and empirical literature on the subject. No specific inclusion or exclusion criteria were used; relevant publications were identified by searching academic databases and bibliographies.

The findings generally indicate that somatization is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by culturally differing emotion regulation styles. Differences in the recognition and expression of emotions across cultures may shape how individuals perceive and report somatic symptoms. In collectivist societies, the tendency to avoid direct expression of emotions may lead to more frequent expressions of emotional distress through physical symptoms. Furthermore, the existing literature's focus on East-West comparisons results in an underrepresentation of cultures located between these two extremes, such as Turkey.

Understanding somatization requires a joint consideration of both cultures and individual emotion regulation capacity.