Culture

Different societies, cultures, and even different individuals within a single culture may disagree as to what constitutes optimal or pathological biological and psychological functioning; and indeed research has demonstrated variation across cultures in the relative importance placed on, for example, happiness, autonomy, or social relationships for pleasure. Likewise, the fact that a behavior pattern is valued, accepted, encouraged, or even statistically normative within a particular culture does not necessarily mean it is conducive to optimal psychological functioning. Furthermore, while conceptions like incomprehensibility or bizarreness tend to be ubiquitous across cultures, determining exactly what qualifies as incomprehensible or bizarre is often ambiguous and subjective. These differences in determination can become highly contentious, especially with regards to religious, spiritual, or transpersonal experiences and beliefs. Such beliefs are typically not defined as disordered, especially if widely shared, despite meeting many criteria of delusional or psychotic disorders. Even when a belief or experience can be shown to produce distress or disability, the ordinary standard for judging mental disorders; the presence of a strong cultural basis is generally disqualifies it.