Person Centered Management Approach for the Dhat Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Person centered care is a holistic management approach that emphasizes attention to the particularities of the person in context. Trying to fit a general model of care to every patient with a given disorder may not be effective enough to meet the distinct needs of the patient as a person. The Dhat syndrome, being a culture bound syndrome with diverse symptoms and inter-individual variations, may require a care model that can address the unique needs of the person presenting for help.Objectives: A literature review was conducted to analyze different management strategies for the Dhat syndrome. It also explored the relevance and feasibility of a person centered approach for the Dhat syndrome. Methods: An extensive web search on the Medline database was carried out using the keyword “Dhat syndrome”. Relevant studies were analyzed with focus on management strategies for the Dhat syndrome.Results: A total of sixty five articles were found through September 2016 in the Medline database. Out of these, seventeen articles dealing with management of the Dhat syndrome were identified for analysis. Most studies advocated the role of anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications for Dhat syndrome. Several studies also emphasized the role of sex education, relaxation exercises, supportive psychotherapy as well as structured psychotherapies such as cognitive behavior therapy and insight oriented psychotherapy for the Dhat syndrome. Some studies focused on issues relevant to person centered care for an effective treatment of the syndrome, including empathetic listening, non-confrontational attitude, individualized care, and collaborative approachesDiscussion: Various dimensions of person centered care seem to be applicable to the treatment of the Dhat syndrome. This approach tenders promising ways toward enhanced clinical effectiveness to help people experiencing this syndrome.Conclusions: A person centered management approach may be an effective, feasible and acceptable model of care for patients presenting the Dhat syndrome, reflecting wide-ranging recommendations from a critical review of the literature.