I. Far East

Abstract

CHANG outlines the cultural-historical background of Japanese personality and the history of Japanese psychiatry, describes some mental disorders which are more common and others which are less common in Japan than in the West, and discusses Morita therapy in relation to the psychoanalytic approach. Of late there has been a good deal of interest in changes in the symptomatology of mental disorders over prolonged periods in relation to culture change within the same culture. Some studies of this nature concerning schizophrenia and depression carried out in Austria and Germany have been reported in the previous issue. A similar investigation concerning Japanes patients has been carried out by SAKURAI and his coworkers. They report on the effect of changes in value system, of family organization, of parent-child relationships and of other sociocultural factors on the clinical picture of schizophrenia. Also in previous issues various reports on the relevance of sibling rank to the nature of mental disorders in Far Eastern patients have been presented. These studies have been continued by YAMAGUCHI and his coworkers. KADRI, reporting from Singapore, noted a disproportionately high number of schizophrenics among Ceylonese Tamils as compared with other students. KORA in his monograph on Morita therapy comprehensively describes the type of patient suited for this treatment and the procedures adapted (cf. Trauscultural Psychiatric Research, W. Caudill, No. 8,July 1960, p. 12; E Vogel, No. 11, Oct. 1961, p. 8; W. Caudill and L. T, Doi, No. 15, Oct. 1963, p. 17).