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This paper describes the beliefs about illness espoused by Spanish-speaking Mexicans from the Chiapas Highlands. The set of beliefs about illness entails explanations about its causes, mechanisms, manifestations, and consequences and for this reason can be viewed as constituting a theory about disease. The theory of disease described encompasses events and processes that outside observers would classify as mental, bodily, and social. To members of the group, disease and well-being reflect the status of a person's adjustment and functioning in all facets of his life. Disease-related notions, such as pain and physiological functioning, are also explained and reacted to in a holistic fashion, partaking social and mentalistic aspects as well as strictly bodily ones. This integrated theory of disease contrasts sharply with the dualistic view of disease held by practicing physicians of the area. The implications that these matters have for the field of psychosomatic medicine are described and analyzed in the paper. In this regard, currently held Western views about “mental” illness, “physical” illness, social deviance, and human individuality are relevant.
Fábrega et al. (Tue,) studied this question.