Understanding cross-cultural prognostic variability for schizophrenia.

Research suggests that critical and negatively charged family environments correlate with poor prognosis for schizophrenia across cultures. International research also suggests that the increasing industrial status of a country is associated with a less favorable outcome for the disorder. This article reviews the literature on culture and schizophrenia. An argument is made for using an attribution-affect model to help identify factors that may lead to unfavorable emotional reactions toward individuals with schizophrenia. In addition, specific sociocultural values and beliefs are proposed that are hypothesized to contribute to a favorable clinical course for schizophrenia in less industrialized countries.