Anthropology and its current contribution to clinical crosscultural psychology.

In this study, a historical and epistemiological review has been made of the similarities and differences between anthropology and clinical psychoanalysis. Mental disorders in individuals from another culture confronted with stressful situations in an environment to which they are not fully accustomed have been examined, as behavior is always associated with a cultural context. Culture can to some extent be defined as a means of providing the members of any society with a 'guide' or series of 'codes', this bring limited in that societies exist and function within an ever-changing world, with a constant redefinition of social and cultural values. The current situation has been examined in detail, and an analysis made of the problems encountered by psychotherapists confronted by another culture, involving states of exile or exclusion, brutal cultural change, acculturation and the anxiety of not being within their own field of reference (traditional social and cultural context). The symptoms and periods of crisis, particularly during adolescence, have been described. There is an increasing tendency towards using an intercultural psychological approach to treat this specific patient population. (C) 2000 editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.