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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Sep 26.
Published in final edited form as: Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2017 Sep;20(3):250–332. doi: 10.1007/s10567-017-0229-2

Table 2. Conceptualization of the distress: expressions of distress (idioms of distress and symptom expression across cultures).

Author Sample Method General mental distress or DSM based Somatic symptoms Psychological Spirituality related

Cognitive, emotional Interpersonal, relational Behavioral
Alcázar-Olán et al. 2016 504 Adolescents from a public school in Mexico City with a mean age of 13.75 Survey Anger X X
Austin and Huberty (1993) 50 Children between 8 and 12 with epilepsy or asthma Survey General X
Batterham et al. (2013) 789 Staff and students in college Survey Suicide X
Bird et al. (1993) 182 White, Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American children aged 9–17 Survey General X
Breda and Riemer (2012) Sample 1: 503 youths 13–15 years old and caregivers
Sample 2: 197 youth 13–15 years old and 174 caregiversWhite 58%
Survey General X
Burns and Rapee (2006) 202 Year 11 students from two private, single-sex schools Survey + vignette Depression X
Chan et al. (2010) 5857 Adolescents from secondary schools in Hong Kong Survey Depression Anxiety X X
Chhim (2012) 511 Cambodian adult refugees with trauma history Survey Baskbat (broken courage) X, culturally specific X, culturally specific X X
D'Avanzo and Barab (1998) 155 Cambodian adult refugee women Survey Depression Anxiety X X
Groleau et al. (2006) Original does not report Semi-structured interview General (client defined) Open-ended responses (client-defined expressions)
Grover et al. (2014) 54 Patients Semi-structured interview Dhat syndrome X, culturally specific X, culturally specific X X
Heather and Rollnick (1993) 174 Adults identified as excessive drinkers Survey Alcohol use X
Hinton et al. (2013) 226 Traumatized Cambodian adult refugees Survey Trauma X, culturally specific X, culturally specific X X
Hinton et al. (2009) Cambodian adult refugees Survey Anger X, culturally specific
Hinton et al. (2014) 100 Treatment-seeking Cambodian refugee Survivors of the Cambodian genocide of 1975–1979 Survey Prolonged grief X, culturally specific X, culturally specific X X X
Kleinknecht et al. (1997) 181 US students and 161 Japanese students Survey Taijin Kyofusho X, culturally specific X, culturally specific X
Lee and Wong (1995) 10 Undergraduate students in Hong Kong Survey Shenjing Shuairuo X, culturally specific X, culturally specific X X
Liu et al. (2014) Study 1: 312 Chinese adults
Study 2: 227 Chinese adults
Survey PTSD X, culturally specific X culturally specific X X
Lloyd et al. (1998) 86 British adults
35% White
65% British Caribbean
Semi-structured interview General (client-defined illness) Open-ended responses (client-defined expressions)
Makanjuola (1987) 30 Adult patients in the psychiatric unit of a hospital previously diagnosed by a Yoruba traditional healer as suffering from “Ode-Ori” Interview Ode-Ori X, culturally specific X, culturally specific
Min et al. (2009) 89 Adult Koreans diagnosed as having major depressive disorder Survey Hwa-byung X, culturally specific X, culturally specific
Mollica et al. (1992) 55 Cambodian, 20 Laotian, 16 Vietnamese adults Survey Trauma X
Paradis et al. (2009) 208 Students from a small liberal arts college
71% White, 8% Black, 10% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 6% other
Survey Unusual sleep X, culturally specific X, culturally specific
Phan et al. (2004) 3 Different groups of Vietnamese subjects for 3 studies patients of MH services. Survey Depression Anxiety X, culturally specific X, culturally specific X X
Prince (1962) 234 Participants aged between 11 and 20 years with a mean age of 14.20 Survey Brain fag X, culturally specific X, culturally specific
Ruedell, et al. (2009) 5 Bangladeshi and 6 White British adults Semi-structured interview Open-ended responses (probes for somatic, phenomenal, perceptual, mental, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, interpersonal, personal)
Salman et al. (1998) 156 Hispanic adults (87 females, 22 males) seeking treatment at an anxiety disorders clinic
46% Dominican Republic, 28 Puerto Rico, 35 from other countries
Survey Ataque de Nervios X X, culturally specific X
Weiss (1997) Not reported Semi-structured interview General (client defined) Open-ended responses (client-defined expressions)
Wong et al. (2012) 34 Adult Chinese immigrants Chinese-Americans 29 Clinicians Survey Depression X, culturally specific X, culturally specific
Yeh and Hough (1997) Parents of 1338 youths 270 African American 109 Asian Pacific Islander 372 Latino 587 White Survey General X
Zung (1965) Not provided Survey Depression X X, culturally specific X