Cultural Psychodynamics and the Indian Personality

Abstract

A full understanding of mental health and illness can be gained only by taking into individual biological and psychological variables, as well as socio-cultural factors. Culture may exercise powerful pathogenic and pathoplastic influences, as well as health-sustaining ones. Cross-cultural research has underlined considerable differences across cultures in the incidence, typology, manifestations and outcome of mental illness, and personality configurations. The approach of lumping personalities within a society has often been criticized as being too simplistic. However, many things differ across cultures. Just like societies and cultures and countries differ in material variables, they may differ in social structure and personality types. When differences across cultures exceed those within a cultural group, culture can be said to play a significant role in determining health and illness. I have identified the following six key socio-cultural variables to be related to mental health, personality configurations, and illness: (1) social interrelationship as epitomized on a dependence–autonomy continuum, (2) psychological sophistication, (3) linguistic competence, (4) social support, (5) expressed emotions, and (6) material culture. A dynamic synthesis of these variables suggests that the Indian personality is a “dependence-prone” personality. Other characteristics highlighted are preoccupation with peace and spirituality, high tradition orientation, loose ego boundaries within the primary group, low level of compulsivity, high primary narcissism, and passive-dependent traits with evidence of oral aggression.

V.K. Varma, Former Professor and Head