Society can be considered as a covering structure, determining the roles of people according to their place in this structure. Culture is the whole of values and norms, regulating the interactions of indivduals in a given society.
Society and culture are closely connected. From society and culture the individual cherishes double expectations; on one hand security based on material opportunities and stabilized interactions, on the other hand the possibilities of a free development of his own personality. Frustration in both of these areas may contribute to experiences of stress, eventually leading to psychic decompensation.
The influence of socio-cultural factors on the occurrence of psychic disturbances has been approached from two points of view: epidemiological studies and the analysis of socio-cultural elements, possibly interfering in a psychodynamic genesis of psychic dysfunctioning. Epidemiological studies have shown a connection between lower social class and a larger frequency of psychic disorders. This can be explained by different factors regarding people belonging to lower social classes: exposition to more and heavier stress; greater vulnerability; less adequate treatment; more secundary illness gain.
As unfavourable socio-cultural elements in the frame work of the psychodynamic genesis of psychic dysfunctioning have been described: alienation, isolation anxiety, too restrictive cultural norms, contradictory values in the culture.