Culture-bound psychiatric disorders associated with Qigong practice in China

Discusses the beliefs in causation, and manifestations of culture-bound psychiatric disorders associated with Qigong practice in China. Qigong practice is a traditional form of psychotherapy in Eastern countries that is an exercise of both body and mind. It is suggested that Qigong exercise will induce some mental disorders if it is incorrectly performed. The mental disorders induced by Qigong have been regarded as a diagnostic classification in the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders since 1989. This syndrome is associated with Qigong culture, so it may be termed a 'culture-bound' syndrome. The article includes a brief description of an epidemiological study of Qigong deviation syndrome and a case history of a 44-yr-old male who was diagnosed with schizophreniform disorder following Qigong practice.