Why don’t more mental health providers treat Asian culture-bound syndromes?
If the treatment orientation is different from that of the client, the client will not likely benefit from the treatment. Indeed, many mental health treatment providers lack knowledge and training regarding the existence, prevalence, manifestation, and treatment of Asian culture-bound syndromes.
What is culturally appropriate mental health treatment for Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders?
Culturally appropriate mental health treatment for Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders should be cost-effective, accessible (located within Asian-American/Pacific Islander communities), and provided at convenient times (e.g., after work and weekends).
What are some traditional Asian-American/Pacific Islander indigenous healing practices?
Some traditional Asian-American/Pacific Islander indigenous healing practices are controversial. For example, in some Asian cultures,"coining" and "cupping," the practice of vigorous rubbing of coins or cups on the skin of ill children to cure them, often results in bruising. This has resulted in these parents being reported for child abuse.
How do Asian-Americans view mental health?
Culture-Specific Views of Mental Health and Healing For many Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, mental health is strongly related to physical health. In many Asian-American/Pacific Islander ethnic groups, the belief is that if one is physically healthy, then one is more likely to be emotionally healthy.
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What cultural considerations are important for Asian American?
Individuals from China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines are included in this group.Values and Communication.Harmony and conflict avoidance are highly valued, as is respect. ... They may avoid direct eye contact as a way of showing respect. ... Filial piety (respect for and duty to one's parents) is an important value.More items...•
What do Asians believe about health care?
Chinese: Health is maintained through a balance between "yin" (cold) and "yang" (hot) forces. A lack of "chi" (energy) causes illness. The body is viewed as a gift and must be valued through proper care. Japanese: Health is maintained through harmony with the world.
What is Asian American culture?
American Asians & Asians American Asians comprise one of the fastest growing groups in North America. They are highly diverse, including dozens of ethnicities and languages; these include individuals from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Laotian, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.
Which Asian American group has the highest PTSD rate?
Significant subgroup differences were also found. Cambodians reported the highest levels of distress, Laotians were next, then Vietnamese. Studies of Southeast Asian refugees receiving mental health care uniformly find high rates of PTSD.
Which race is most affected by PTSD?
Results: The lifetime prevalence of PTSD was highest among Blacks (8.7%), intermediate among Hispanics and Whites (7.0% and 7.4%) and lowest among Asians (4.0%). Differences in risk for trauma varied by type of event.
What are generational trauma patterns?
It can also be referred to as transgenerational or multigenerational trauma. People experiencing intergenerational trauma may experience symptoms, reactions, patterns, and emotional and psychological effects from trauma experienced by previous generations (not limited to just parents or grandparents).
How does diversity affect the experience of trauma?
Culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and disability are potential sources of resilience, but they also may lead to chronic stressors such as social stigma, discrimination, and oppression, which can increase psychological trauma and PTSD.
What is culturally competent treatment?
A literature review was conducted to identify relevant literature related to cultural competence in mental health services delivery and specifically treatment for addictive disorders. Several theoretical models of cultural competence in therapy have been developed, but the lack of rigorous research limits the empirical evidence available. Research indicates that culturally competent treatment practices including providing therapy and materials in the client's language, knowledge, understanding and appreciation for cultural perspectives and nuances, involving the wider family and community and training therapists can enhance client engagement, retention and treatment outcomes for substance use and gambling. Further methodologically rigorous research is needed to isolate the impact of cultural competence for the treatment of addictions and guide research to determine treatment efficacy within specific CALD populations. Training therapists and recruiting therapists and researchers from CALD communities is important to ensure an ongoing focus and improved outcomes for CALD populations due to the importance of engaging these populations with addiction treatment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What is the Asian Cancer Education Program?
The Asian Grocery Store-Based Cancer Education Program (the Program) is a proven strategy for promoting early breast cancer detection among Asian American women. The authors sought to test whether the same public health model can become an effective strategy for increasing the Asian community's awareness of the California Smokers' Helpline (the Helpline) and thereby, potentially decreasing this community's use of tobacco products. The new module, mainly staffed by four well-trained, volunteer undergraduates, explained the risks of first- and second-hand tobacco exposure and how to access the Helpline's services. A brochure, provided in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese (the Helpline's available Asian languages), was used to guide the bicultural, bilingual students' tobacco-related discussions with shoppers. The students' repeated presence at the nine partnering Asian grocery stores served as reminders of the Helpline's availability. In its first year of operation, the student trainers reached 1,052 men and 1,419 women with tobacco cessation messages. Equally important, the participating grocery stores' managers did not object to students telling their customers to quit using the tobacco products sold in their stores. The results suggest that the Program's tobacco cessation module is a viable, community-specific, public health strategy. It is also a strategy with the potential for applications to reduce other health threats.
What is ecological approach in addiction?
This chapter describes an ecological approach to counseling to address substance abuse treatment and addiction. It addresses the role of context in addictions and the importance of considering clients' entire life spaces and their networks of persons and events when diagnosing, conceptualizing, and implementing interventions. The chapter brings attention to meaning making because of the critical role it plays in recovery and rehabilitation. It discusses special populations, in this case racial and ethnic minorities, to illustrate both the similar and unique characteristics of their drug experiences and, more important, to emphasize the utility of an ecological approach in serving these diverse populations. The chapter explains the need for evidence-based practice (EBP) and the contributions that an ecological assessment makes to EBP. It provides examples of ecologically oriented substance abuse program. Examining the role of context in chemical dependency means exploring the interrelated conditions in which this diagnosis exists. © 2012 by the American Counseling Association. All rights reserved.
What is the treatment for gambling?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is currently the most accepted and widely used psychological treatment modality for gambling disorders. Conceptually, CBT consists of two components: behavioral therapy and cognitive formulations. In the behavioral perspective, the therapist applies learning principles in changing the gambler’s behavioral patterns. Commonly employed behavioral techniques include punishing gambling behavior by use of aversive stimulus, substitution of gambling behaviors with pleasant and healthy behaviors, financial planning and limit-setting, stimulus control, imaginal desensitization, in vivo-exposure and response prevention and relapse prevention training, and teaching coping skills and assertiveness and refusal skills for gambling. In the cognitive part of the therapy, CBT aims at helping the client identify his/her distorted thinking and cognitive biases. Treatment techniques include problem-solving, cognitive restructuring techniques that intends to modify the distorted thinking and biases.
What is OAT treatment?
Background Among people living in detention, substance use is highly prevalent, including opioid dependence. Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) has been established as an evidence-based, first-line treatment for opioid dependence. Despite high prevalence of opioid dependence, conclusive data regarding its prevalence and the OAT practice in German prisons is scarce; rather, the existing data widely diverges concerning the rates of people in detention receiving OAT.Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of all detention facilities in Berlin. On the date of data collection, a full census of the routine records was completed based on the medical documentation system. For each opioid dependent individual, we extracted sociodemographic data (i.e., age, sex, and non-/German nationality, whether people experienced language-related communication barriers), information about OAT, comorbidities (HIV, hepatitis C, schizophrenia), and the detention center, as well as the anticipated imprisonment duration and sentence type. The data was first analyzed descriptively and secondly in an evaluative-analytical manner by analyzing factors that influence the access to OAT of people living in detention.ResultsAmong the 4,038 people in detention in the Berlin custodial setting under investigation, we identified a 16% prevalence of opioid dependence. Of the opioid-dependent individuals, 42% received OAT; 31% were treated with methadone, 55% were treated with levomethadone, and 14% were treated with buprenorphine. Access to OAT seemed mainly dependent upon initial receipt of OAT at the time of imprisonment, detention duration, the prisons in which individuals were detained, German nationality, and sex. The overall prevalence of HIV was 4–8%, hepatitis C was 31–42%, and schizophrenia was 5%.Conclusions The prevalence of opioid dependence and access to OAT remains a major health issue in the custodial setting. OAT implementation must be especially intensified among male, non-German, opioid-dependent individuals with a short detention period. Treatment itself must be diversified regarding the substances used for OAT, and institutional treatment differences suggest the need for a consistent treatment approach and the standardized implementation of treatment guidelines within local prison’s standard operating procedures. Testing for infectious diseases should be intensified among opioid-dependent people living in detention to address scarcely known infection statuses and high infection rates.
What are the Asian subgroups?
Nationally, the largest Asian-American subgroups are Chinese, Filipino, Asian-Indian, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese, and together, these groups represent 87% of the Asian- Americans, including Pacific Islanders, in the United States (Fong & Tsuang, 2007). According to Yu (2014), between 2000 and 2010, there was a 60% growth of the Asian population in New York City. Additionally, Yu et al. (2009) found that Asian-Americans represent 10% of New York City's overall population, and 18% of the local population within New York's Queens County. Although Asian-American is the fastest growing ethnicity in New York City, addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs (AODs) is one of the social issues that is still a hidden concern, and is not being openly discussed in the community.
Is e-cigarette use increasing among Asian Americans?
The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has been rising among adolescents and adults in the United States, including among Asian Americans. However, despite being one of the largest racial/ethnic minority groups, the specific trends and patterns of e-cigarette use among Asian Americans are understudied and unclear. This review aimed to summarize relevant information in the last two decades. This systematic review followed the a priori guide outlined by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. Articles were gathered from PsycINFO, PubMed, Sage Journals Online, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink. Forty articles were reviewed and analyzed. Most articles reviewed only reported on the prevalence rate of e-cigarettes among Asian Americans and indicated regional differences. Results noted between- and within-group differences among racial/ethnic groups that warrant further examination. There is a dearth of information regarding health outcomes and correlates or predictors of e-cigarette use among Asian Americans. Despite its popularity and prevalence among Asian Americans, the use of e-cigarettes and related factors or outcomes deserves more nuanced studies and analyses. It is important to delineate subgroup differences by adjusting study designs and data analytic methods to glean meaningful information regarding Asian American’s e-cigarette use in the future.
Why are Asians less likely to be diagnosed by clinicians?
An even greater consequence is that Asians are less likely to be correctly diagnosed by clinicians. Some believe we are invincible against mental illnesses. They are more likely to blame our parents’ culture for our depression and trauma. A therapist is someone who builds a trusting relationship with you.
Why are Asians dissatisfied with mental health services?
Many Asians patients expressed dissatisfaction after utilizing mental health services due to the lack of cultural competence and sensitivity. Asian clients have a higher drop-out rate in counseling than other minority clients. Non-Asian therapists are quick to jump to negative conclusions about us.
Why do poor Asians suffer alone?
The inaccessibility of mental health services in their countries of origin forces many poor Asians to suffer alone. Poor Asian immigrants and refugees often suffer from pockets of trauma stemming from poverty while battling undiagnosed mental disorders.
Why is it important to reach out to Asian adolescents?
It’s important to reach out to Asian adolescents so they can get the help they need at an earlier stage in their life. The services provided should also cater to all Asian cultures. Many Asians patients expressed dissatisfaction after utilizing mental health services due to lack of cultural competence and sensitivity.
Can racial trauma cause hyper-vigilance?
police brutality and ICE). Racial trauma can result in hyper-vigilance and high stress. Because racial trauma is a new term, it is difficult to diagnose outside of PTSD.
Is stigma a barrier to mental health?
And stigma is only one of many barriers towards getting treatment. Below, I give Asian Americans seeking mental health services a breakdown of the different kinds of cultural, institutional, and economic barriers they may face, and how to work around them.
Is race a strong factor in a therapist's ability to serve you?
Psychology Today. for therapist profiles. Race and age are not a strong factor in how well a therapist can serve you. It’s best to keep an open mind rather than limit yourself to only trying to find a therapist who shares the same background as you.
What are the barriers to health care for Asian Americans?
Barriers to treatment. Health Disparities among Asian Americans face cultural barriers that may discourage or prevent them from being able to receive health care services which are available to them. Asian American usually deals with disease and illness a lot different than the rest of society.
What are the health disparities in Asian Americans?
Some of the health disparities that affect Asian American are: Cancer and cardiovascular disease are two of the leading causes of death. For Asian American women, cancer is the leading cause of death.
Why are Asian Americans not considered to be a necessity?
Because Asian Americans tend to have a traditional approached to health care they do not consider their health to be a necessity. With Asian Americans not considering health be a prime factor that leads to untreatable conditions in the later stages of life.
Do Asian Americans feel their doctor does not understand their culture?
Many Asian Americans feel as if their Doctors do not understand their culture and values. Asian American does not put their health at the top of their list and do not rate their care highly compared to the overall population.
Introduction
Myths and Misinformation
- The promulgation of the "model minority" myth, that Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders are the most similar to European Americans, and, thus, are viewed as "models" for and/or "better than" other ethnic minority groups, has created many problems for Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders. The result has been (a) a lack of attention to Asian-American/Pacific Islander issues in mental h…
Inadequacies of Traditional Mental Health Care
- The number of Asian-American/Pacific Islander mental health providers is very low, as are mental health services accessible to various Asian-American/Pacific Islander communities. The paucity of bilingual and culturally competent therapists compounds the problem of inadequate mental health care. Even the U.S. Surgeon General documented inadequate mental health treatment for …
Culture-Specific Views of Mental Health and Healing
- For many Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, mental health is strongly related to physical health. In many Asian-American/Pacific Islander ethnic groups, the belief is that if one is physically healthy, then one is more likely to be emotionally healthy. Emotional or psychological health is also believed to be strongly influenced by willpower or ...
Oppression and Racism as Mental Health Issues
- Historically, racism and sexism toward Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States has been prevalent. Whether mandated by the U.S. government (e.g., Gentleman's Agreement of 1860, antimiscegenation laws, unconstitutional internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II) or acted upon by individuals via hate crimes, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders conti…
References
- American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(4th Ed., text revision).Washington, D.C.: Author.
- U.S. Census Bureau. (2001). The Asian and Pacific Islander population in the United States(PDF, 177.5KB): March 2000 (Update) (PPL-146). Retrieved June 28, 2001.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Mental health: Culture, race, and eth…
- American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(4th Ed., text revision).Washington, D.C.: Author.
- U.S. Census Bureau. (2001). The Asian and Pacific Islander population in the United States(PDF, 177.5KB): March 2000 (Update) (PPL-146). Retrieved June 28, 2001.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Mental health: Culture, race, and ethnicity—A supplement to Mental health: A report of the SurgeonGeneral. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of He...
Recommended Readings For Practitioners
- Lee, E. (1997). Working with Asian Americans: A guide for clinicians. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
- Lee, L. C., and Zane, N.W. S. (1998). Handbook of Asian American psychology.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
- Okazaki, S. (2000).Assessing and treating Asian Americans: Recent advances. In I. Cuellar & …
- Lee, E. (1997). Working with Asian Americans: A guide for clinicians. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
- Lee, L. C., and Zane, N.W. S. (1998). Handbook of Asian American psychology.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
- Okazaki, S. (2000).Assessing and treating Asian Americans: Recent advances. In I. Cuellar & F.A. Paniagua (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural mental health(pp. 171-193). San Diego, CA:Academic Press.
- Uba, L. (1994). Asian Americans: Personality patterns, identity, and mental health. New York, NY: Guilford Press.