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Human beings have emotions and thus are emotional. However, the expression of emotions may be frowned upon depending on the culture. Nangyeon Lim stated that individuals of the Global North appreciate, encourage, and feel “high arousal” emotions such as anger, fear and enthusiasm while inhabitants of the Global South value the so-called “low arousal” emotions, for example, sadness, boredom and helplessness.1
The American Psychological Association defines emotion as “a complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioral and physiological elements.”2 And in his article, Professor Christopher Dowrick states that individuals’ emotions act as the basis for their personality and behavior.3 Hence, emotions are tightly embedded in the human fabric.
As the principles of family medicine imply, holistic care for patients involves a holistic person-centered approach. Hermann and colleagues propose that emotions play an important role in making decisions, solving problems and can dictate humans' cognition.4 Therefore, encouraging a person to express how they feel and understanding those emotions and their contribution to illness, wellbeing, and health-seeking attitudes is essential while providing care in general practice.
References 1. Nangyeon L. Cultural differences in emotion: differences in emotional arousal level between the East and th...
References 1. Nangyeon L. Cultural differences in emotion: differences in emotional arousal level between the East and the West. Integr Med Res 2016, 5(2): 105-109. DOI: 10.1016/j.imr.2016.03.004. 2. UWA online. The science of emotion: Exploring the basics of emotional psychology. Retrieved from: https://online.uwa.edu/news/emotional-psychology/ (Accessed on: 28th June 2024). 3. Dowrick C. Emotions as Original Existences. A Theory of Emotion, Motivation and the Self. Br J Gen Pract 2021, 79. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp21X714821. 4. Hermann H, Trachsel M, Elger BS, Biller-Andorno N. Emotion and value in the Evaluation of Medical Decision-Making Capacity: A Narrative Review of Arguments. Front Psychol 2016, 7(765). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00765.
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