From mind to body
how culture shapes depression
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18554/refacs.v14i00.8802Keywords:
Depression, Culture, Mental Health, Transcultural NursingAbstract
Objective: to critically analyze how culture shapes the clinical and symbolic expression of depression and to discuss its implications for the practice of cross-cultural nursing. Methods: a narrative review without temporal restriction, of a reflective and interpretive nature, conducted in the PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases in December 2025. Theoretical and empirical studies addressing cultural, symbolic, and communicational dimensions of depression were included, with an emphasis on cross-cultural comparisons. The analysis followed a comprehensive and comparative reading, organized into four axes: psychological versus somatic manifestations; acculturation and identity; religiosity and corporeality; and implications for nursing care. Results: seven articles were considered, organized into four blocks: Latin America and Europe: between mind and body, reason and affection; Africa and Europe: the corporeality of suffering and cosmologies of balance; North America and Asia: cultural alexithymia, emotional regulation, and acculturation; Russia and Australia: social support, resilience, and cultural meanings of suffering. Consistent patterns of cross-cultural variation in the expression of depression were identified. Western societies tend towards the psychologization of suffering, while Asian, African, and Latin American societies express emotional pain through the body and spirituality. Acculturation proved to be an ambivalent factor, capable of intensifying symptoms or generating new forms of symbolic adaptation. Ethnic identity and social support emerged as protective factors. Conclusion: depression is an experience shaped by cultural values and languages. Recognizing this diversity allows cross-cultural nursing to offer more empathetic, dialogical, and culturally competent care, integrating biological, spiritual, and community dimensions of human suffering.
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