Cultural Issues Related to Mental Health Care

1
Cultural Issues Related to Mental Health Care

• Chapter 2

2
Culture

• A way of life for people who identify or
  associate with one another on the basis of some
  common purpose.
• Totality of learned, socially transmitted
  beliefs, values, and behaviors that emerge from
  its members interpersonal experiences.

3
Cultural Terms

• Acculturation
• Segregation
• Integration
• Prejudice
• Discrimination
• Stereotyping

4
Stigmatization

• Process of assigning negative characteristics and
  identify to one person or group
• Causing that person or group to feel unaccepted,
  devalued, ostracized, and isolated

5
Culture and Religion

• Western societies
• Judeo-Christian thinking predominate
• Eastern societies
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• See table 2.1

6
Cultural Groups and Beliefs About Mental Illnesses

• Cultural groups have different histories related
  to mental illnesses.
• Traditional beliefs associated with mental
  illnesses evoke shame, social ostracism, and
  stigma.
• In some communities, language is a barrier for
  receiving mental health services.

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Different Cultural Beliefs

• African Americans Significantly lower mental
  health and poorer self-perceived health
• Latino Americans Late in Seeking Mental Health
  Services
• Asian Americans, Polynesians,Pacific Islanders
  Asians deny Mental Illness (neurasthenia)
  
• Native Americans Some view Mental Ilness as
  supernatural possession or being out of balance
  with nature

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Socioeconomic Influences in Mental Health Care

• Poverty
• Geographic location
• Changing family structure
• role change
• mobility and relocation
• unmarried couple
• single-parent families
• stepfamilies
• childless families
• same-gender families

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Stigma and Mental Illness

• Patients with mental illness have always been
  victims of stigma.
• U.S. Surgeon Generals Report (1999) highlights
  the negative attitude that continues to exist in
  the U.S.
• Two-thirds of people do not seek treatment.

10
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

• National organization with the mission to
  eradicate mental illness and improve the quality
  of life for patients.
• Works toward helping public understand that
  mental illnesses are no-fault, biologically
  based, treatable, and eventually curable.
• NAMI has several local chapter with family
  support groups.