Presentation Information
[SY-113-02]Understanding Depression in Levantine-Canadians using Cultural Domain Analysis
*Jude Nachabe1, Luka Bolduc1, Madinah Kawish2, Andrew G Ryder1,3 (1.Concordia University(Canada), 2.University of Ottawa(Canada), 3.Jewish General Hospital(Canada))
Keywords:
Cultural-Clinical Psychology,Cultural Consensus Analysis,Depression
Due to the Levant region’s history of conflict, there has been an influx of Levantine migrants to Canada from the late 1800s to the present. Research on Levantine-Canadian mental health beliefs is limited, however; as such, the purpose of this study was to explore beliefs about depression among Levantine-Canadians in Montreal. Using an emic approach, we employed Cultural Domain Analysis, a mixed-method approach originally developed in the field of cognitive anthropology. We conducted a free-listing study whereby participants (N = 32) completed a survey requiring them to enumerate 6 to 10 words or phrases describing two domains: (1) normalcy and deviancy; and (2) explanatory models of depression. Saliency analyses were conducted using R to determine the most important terms for the two domains and their subdomains (e.g., causes, symptoms and problems, help-seeking). Highly salient items, endorsed by at least 10% of participant and/or with Smith’s S greater than 0.05, were identified. Results provide preliminary evidence supporting a consensus model of depression among Levantine-Canadians. Recurrent themes included importance of religion (S=0.47), family (S= 0.5), community (S=0.30), and professional help (S=0.35). Overall, our findings contribute to culturally and religiously sensitive approaches to depression assessment and intervention for Levantine-Canadians. The success of the method in this context, moreover, points to its potential utility for studying culture and mental health.