Somatization in South East Asia

Abstract Somatization could be attributed to: a cultural idiom of distress—crying for help; the ethnobelief structure of a society; the divergent psycholinguistic representation of emotional states; and an understanding of pathways to access healthcare. Despite the change of terminology into ‘somatic symptom disorder’ in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), the core concept and pathogenesis model of somatization are still the same. There is a strong evidence base indicating that antidepressants, antipsychotic augmentation, and psychotherapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness psychotherapy, can effectively reduce symptoms of somatization. Furthermore, therapeutic interventions could be enriched via insight and awareness in connection to cultural identity, social context, and the religious beliefs of South East Asians. Social and individual stigma associated with being a psychiatric patient can be a crucial obstacle to recovery and can result into further somatic symptom representation. Therefore, activities designed to alleviate stigma are urgently needed in South East Asian societies, aiming to sustainably destigmatize having psychiatric distress and encouraging people to seek mental health support in good time.