Religious and cultural beliefs may discourage many Latinos in the United States from seeking treatment for depression and other mental health disorders, a Rutgers University-New Brunswick study finds.
Full Answer
What are some religious practices common to all Hispanics?
While several religious practices are common to all Hispanics regardless of religious tradition, other behaviors are more tradition-specific. For instance, participation in prayer groups, Bible study groups and other small religious meetings are quite common among Latino evangelicals (75% participate in such groups at least once a month).
How do Hispanics religio-spiritualities evolve in the 21st century?
When we turn from a historical to a more contemporary look at Hispanics’ religio-spiritualities in the 21st century, Hispanics continue to be empowered by religiously-infused rituals and symbols which have given them hope to persevere in what has been an oftentimes hostile country for them in which to live.
What is the story of Hispanics and religions?
Yet the story of Hispanics and religions is one of triumph and empowerment too as men, women, and children turned to their families, faith, and communities to combat the ethnocentrically driven colonization in the United States that threatened to overwhelm them.
Are Hispanic Americans more likely to be Catholic?
While the majority of U.S. Hispanics still identify themselves as Roman Catholic, there is a growing diversity of Catholic practices as well as broader religio-spiritualities among U.S. Hispanics.
What role does religion play in Hispanic culture?
Latinos and Religion. Latinos as a group are religiously observant. Compared with the general public, they are more likely to claim a religious affiliation and to attend religious services more frequently. However, they are about equally as likely to say religion is important in their lives.
How do Hispanic beliefs affect health care and treatment?
Hispanics expect health care personnel to be warm and personal and express a strong need to be treated with dignity. Older person should be addressed by their last name. Avoid gesturing, some may have adverse connotations. necessary so that best care can be planned.
How can religion affect healthcare treatment?
Religion and spirituality can impact decisions regarding diet, medicines based on animal products, modesty, and the preferred gender of their health providers. Some religions have strict prayer times that may interfere with medical treatment.
How do I best provide spiritual care to Hispanic patients?
Hispanics may pray to Mary and to various saints, and a nurse's prayer to Jesus or God the Father is acceptable. When possible, use an interpreter of similar age and the same gender as the patient. Nurses should assess if the patient is comfortable with eye contact.
How does culture influence health beliefs?
The influence of culture on health is vast. It affects perceptions of health, illness and death, beliefs about causes of disease, approaches to health promotion, how illness and pain are experienced and expressed, where patients seek help, and the types of treatment patients prefer.
What are the health care beliefs of the Mexican culture?
Mexicans have a strong belief that life is in God's hands. Natural remedies using herbs are viewed as the most effected way to heal illness. Folk healers are perceived to have a God given ability to heal using herbs, oils and massages. Sometimes a person may apply remedies while seeing a physician.
What religions refuse treatment?
Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists are the two most common religious doctrines that may dictate treatment refusal, limitation, or preference for prayer.
What religion does not accept medical treatment?
Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusion. Christian Scientists refuse most medical treatment. Instead they rely on the healing prayers of Christian Scientist Practitioners. The Faith Tabernacle Congregation in Altoona, PA believes that disease is caused by the devil.
How does religion affect public health?
Many faiths emphasize social justice and the safeguarding of vulnerable populations, a priority that is consistent with public health as a vocation. Further, many canonical religious texts contain famous passages dealing specifically with disease, or the importance of caring for the sick.
How does the Hispanic culture respond to pain?
Adam Hirsh, an assistant professor of psychology at IUPUI. Laboratory research studies have shown that Hispanic Americans are more sensitive to pain than Whites. For example, compared with Whites, Hispanic Americans feel pain sooner when touching something hot or cold and tolerate the pain for shorter amounts of time.
What cultural considerations should you incorporate into your nursing care for a Hispanic client?
Nursing interactions should include the participation of other family members in the care plan, support of cultural beliefs, emphasis upon the present rather than future, the use of touch, the protection of modesty, and facilitation of communication.
What are Mexican values?
Traditional Latino values include familism, respect, religion, and traditional gender roles while mainstream values include independence/self-reliance and competition/personal achievement.