Final answer:
The term 'cultural concepts of distress' (CCD) is used to describe how various societies understand, experience, and communicate stress and anxiety. It encompasses a broad range of culturally specific stress responses and coping mechanisms, as evidenced in the studies on Mexican immigrant farmworkers and various cultural idioms of distress.
Step-by-step explanation:
What term is used to describe how different cultures and societies deal with anxiety and stress? The term used to describe how different cultures and societies deal with anxiety and stress is known as cultural concepts of distress (CCD). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5, CCD "refer to ways that cultural groups experience, understand, and communicate suffering, behavioral problems, or troubling thoughts and emotions." This framework allows for the understanding that various forms of stress and coping mechanisms are deeply rooted in cultural expressions and perspectives, influencing how individuals express and manage their stress within different societal contexts.
For example, biocultural anthropologist Shedra Snipes studied Mexican immigrant farmworkers and how their experiences of stress were influenced by factors such as inconsistent work, perceived injustices, and cultural differences. These included language barriers and communication challenges, which all fell within the scope of CCD as they are culturally specific reactions to stress. Similarly, idioms of distress represent more indirect ways of expressing stress within certain cultural contexts, using symbols or practices that are understood within the culture to indicate stress or suffering, like the examples of the "evil eye" amulet in Greece or tying a yellow ribbon around an oak tree in the United States.