Transcultural Psychiatry Essay

Within countries that were once untouched by unrealistic societal standards, eating disorders and psychological problems have become a not just a local, but a global phenomenon. Bordo is able to give credible examples and evidence on why they have become a problem, such as recounting previous personal excursions and providing statistics.

To provide competent care to a client, the therapist has to be culturally prepared to work with the client. To be culturally competent as a therapist I have to be aware of my own bias, my identity, and my values in regards of my culture. I also need to be aware of the judgments that I have about the client’s cultural identity. In order to know the client’s culture, I would inquire about the identity during the intake. I would use the Addressing model by Pamela Hays to inquire the cultural identity of my clients. The addressing model helps to consider the various social categories that a client belongs to. Also, providing culturally competent services is to be aware of the population surrounding the therapist’s office or agency in order to

Cultural competency is critical in psychology practice. In the United States, the groups, which considered as cultural and ethnic minorities, are growing in the population (APA, 2003). Culture often influences the content and quality of people’s experience, perception, and response. Thus, it is important for psychologists to be aware of cultural influences on client’s presenting experience(s) (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2010). Without a regard for cultural influence, there is a significant risk for the psychologist to misunderstand, misinterpret, and misguide his or her client. Such misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and misguidance are not only unhelpful but can be detrimental for the client (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2011; Pope, & Vasquez, 2011).

Many cultural beliefs and values are held about mental illness and health in Americans of

I like your example about the different acceptance between Haitian and American cultures. Not only Haiti but also many cultures believe that psychological disorders are from supernatural forces. Therefore, they want to seek spiritual and herbal treatment by their traditional healers whereas, people want to meet psychiatrists in Western culture. Cultures include custom, religion and patterns their ancestors made for a long time, so their belief or behaviors are various. As a result, symptoms of psychological disorders are similar, perception and treatment for the psychological disorders can be different in every culture.

THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND HOW THIS CAN AFFECT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEN THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND THE CLIENT

In addition to being more likely to suffer from domestic abuse and therefore develop several mental disorders CBT is known to treat, South Asian women are also more likely to have negative help-seeking attitudes; these attitudes are influence by several factors related to South Asian culture. In many South Asian countries, mental illness is attached to an enormous amount of stigma, and is rarely treated like a health problem. Because of this cultural climate, South Asian women have an extremely difficult time not

Mental health illnesses affect everyone. It is highly prevalent affecting people of all ages, gender, cultures, and social groups. Attitudes towards mental health illnesses vary among individuals and often are highly influenced by the various cultures that the individuals identify with. Culture as a social concept can be defined as a set of norms, values, behaviours, and beliefs that are common and shared amongst a group of individuals (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). Culture can be applicable to groups like Asians and Americans but also to groups of shared norms, beliefs, and values established within professions such as the culture of patients and practitioners. Culture provides these groups with structure and context to understanding their society and the world as a whole. Culture influence a wide range of aspects of mental health, including how mental health is perceived by the patient, how the patient will experience mental health stigma, and how they cope with symptoms of mental health illness. Additionally, these cultural influences impact the relationship between the patient and the practitioner in a number of ways.

The purpose of Transcultural theory is to discover human care diversities in areas related to worldview or social structure and then find ways to give culturally competent care to individuals of diverse cultures and to help them regain their well-being in a culturally appropriate way

Mental health disorders remain continually disregarded in minority communities. Even more so, a few minority individuals report symptoms of mood disorders that are under-diagnosed as a result of cultural differences. (“Health Care Reform”, 2014.). This insufficiency in accurate mental health care diagnoses establishes a need to eradicate the differences in health care when it comes to treating minorities, as each group report different symptoms. Furthermore, these minority groups tend to be excluded from mainstream research as a result of lack of formal health care, including underreported visits to mental health facilities. Additionally, now there are more significant amounts of research,

Brown, T. N., Donato, K. M., Laske, M. T., & Duncan, E. M. (2012). Race, Nativity, Ethnicity, and Cultural Influences in the Sociology of Mental Health. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health, 255-276.

Fourth, Somalis come from an Eastern African culture and their fist language tends to usually be Somali. When living in a Western world the cultural and language differences can be a barrier toward providing and seeking mental health services. One of the main reasons is a cultural mismatch in diagnosis and treatment. For instance, a patient or a client might get a prescription of a drug for mental health issues, and the person does not know the reason for this drug or might have been told that this drug will make them happy. The consistency of using psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants can be difficult even for English speaking clients, so in the case of a Somali elder or a new immigrant with limited English skills, this can be compromised. Therefore, a good interpreter is essential in these

On this day the 8th of January, 1981 a strange event took place outside the town of Trans-en-Provence in the France. Described as "perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time" where an unidentified flying object is claimed to have left physical evidence, in the form of burnt residue on a field.

Culture has a great effect on attitudes toward therapy. According to the National Institution of Mental Health each individual or groups of people bring a variation of beliefs to the therapeutic setting such as communicating what issues to report, types of coping styles, social support, and cultural stigma towards mental health. More often it is culture that bears on whether or not an individual will seek help. For example there is a widespread tendency to stigmatize mental illness in Asian countries. People with mental illness are considered dangerous and create social distance and

The symptoms of mental disorders are found in all nations and in all cultures; there are recognizable symptoms that are common worldwide. Mental health researchers have not yet been able to determine whether culture bound syndromes are indicative of one or more possibilities that include distinct disorders that exist only in specific cultures, and reflect different ways in which individuals from different cultures express mental illness, as well as reflecting different ways in which the social and cultural environment interact with genes to produce disorders, or any combination of these. (pp. 101)