Anxiety disorders in Japan: a review of the Japanese literature on shinkeishitsu and taijinkyofusho.

As culture-bound syndromes, Japanese shinkeishitsu ("constitutional neurasthenia") and taijinkyofusho ("anthropophobia") have received considerable attention in the Japanese literature. While these disorders are viewed as diagnostically distinct from Western psychiatric categories, recent studies by the Japanese suggest some affinity with Western social phobias, depression, and schizophrenia. The paper reviews this literature and offers suggestions for further cross-cultural research.