We're diving into the fascinating world of how different groups of people perceive and report mental illness! Prepare for a mind-bending journey filled with real-life examples and riveting facts.

What Are They?: Patient variables include factors like how different people express and experience symptoms or how willing they are to talk about their psychological distress.

Real-World Example: Imagine two friends, one who cries openly when sad, and another who hides their emotions. Both may feel the same level of sadness, but they express it differently. That's kind of like patient variables!

Definition: Reporting bias happens when symptoms of a disorder exist but aren't reported, making the disorder look less prevalent than it actually is.

Real-World Example: Think of a class where everyone's pretending to understand a complex math problem. If no one raises their hand, the teacher might think everyone gets it. That's reporting bias in action!

Disease: A biological malfunction (like a virus or broken bone).

Illness: How a person reacts to the disease, often influenced by culture.

Real-World Example: Catching a cold is a disease, but calling in sick and watching movies all day is your personal reaction to it (illness).

Investigation: Why were British Asians rarely diagnosed with depression?

Findings

Depression might be a Western thing, or British Asians might just not use mental health services.

Or, they might show depression through physical symptoms instead (somatization).

Real-World Example: Imagine preferring home remedies for a headache instead of going to a doctor - cultural beliefs influencing health choices.