What are some of the pitfalls of treating patients from varying cultural backgrounds, what cultural issues should psychiatrists be aware of and how can they fit varying culturally based psychiatric disorders into a proper diagnostic framework? Using case studies, Dr. Moldavsky explores the clinical implications of culture in psychiatric practice.
In modern practice, psychiatrists will invariably have patients who come from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Practitioners will need to consider socioeconomic status, diet, use of herbal medications and immigration status, as well as patients' own self-perception of ethnicity, in assessing patients and planning treatment.
Despite increased knowledge of child and adolescent mental health disorders worldwide, there is still a dearth of economic and human resources available to meet treatment needs, especially in developing countries. In this article, the impact of developed countries and the dimensions of this problem are discussed.
While the symptoms of somatoform and dissociative disorders are influenced by the patient's culture, these syndromes are heterogeneous and may have overlapping features. Although more frequently reported in non-Western cultures and thought of as exotic and culture-bound, multiple personality disorder may be a North American example of one such disorder.
How does the role of culture affect disease presentation? The author reviews the impact of religion, ideology and upbringing on the epidemiology of OCD in Egypt.
Comparing the consequences of caregiving across countries for a person with a serious mental illness needs to take into account not only different languages, but also different cultures, quality of mental health services and standards of living. So far, one questionnaire has shown the most validity and become the exemplar in cross-national research; yet it is still not free from possible cultural bias or criticism from its creators who acknowledge that much more research needs to be done.
Little attention has been paid in the professional literature to a phenomenon that non-professionals have recognized since ancient times: Trauma can lead to personal growth. This article focuses on how traumatic events set processes in motion that produces new perspectives on the self, relationships and philosophy of life. Implications for clinical work with trauma survivors are discussed.
There is a long tradition in psychiatry, reaching at least back to World War I, of studying the response of people who are faced with traumatic circumstances and devising ways to restore them to psychological health. The main focus of this work has been on the ways in which traumatic events are precursors to psychological and physical problems.
In looking at the history of ECT, it appeared to have been quite successful in treating a variety of psychiatric disorders. If that is the case, then why did it disappear from the "psychiatric map" for a number of years? What obstacles need to be overcome to return ECT to its place as a viable treatment option?
Studies have shown that children of divorced parents may suffer more mental health problems, particularly conduct disorders. What programs might be effective in helping these children deal with the stress of their parents' divorce? Are there effective programs to teach parents better coping skills?
In what ways does culture impact treatments of depression? This case study follows the progress of "Mrs. H," a 77-year-old African-American female.
Why do Asian-Americans (especially university students) appear to suffer from higher levels of symptoms of social anxiety than white Americans, yet their high symptom reports are not accompanied by behavioral signs of social anxiety? Is this discrepancy due to culturally determined display rules or biased assessment by those who are culturally different? How does this discrepancy make it difficult for clinicians to accurately assess the severity of social anxiety among Asian-Americans?
How is cultural psychiatry defined? What is its history in the United States and how will it continue to influence mental health care in the future? What do mental health care professionals need to know to provide culturally sensitive care?
This article reviews the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study that examined the association between multiple childhood traumas and health outcomes in adults. These findings have significant public health implications for individuals exposed to childhood trauma, and the authors present a vision for a children's mental health care and wellness infrastructure in the United States derived from the Report of the Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health.
Hispanics are now officially the largest minority in the United States. They are also highly prone to psychiatric disorders. What are the unique challenges of treating this ethnic population?
The chief psychiatrist of the Community-University Health Care Clinic in Minneapolis reflects on what he's learned caring for refugees from Southeast Asia and Somalia. His experiences can educate others caring for immigrants and refugees.
In the wake of the report issued by the Institute of Medicine detailing the number of medical errors each year, the American Psychiatric Association has issued a set of patient safety recommendations. Will these recommendations reduce the number of psychiatric patient deaths and injuries?
The World Trade Center attack changed the face of the United States and of psychiatry. Men and women of the cloth and of the clinic came together to care for the stricken masses. Yet, members of the clergy do not always refer congregants who exhibit duress to the psychiatrist, nor do psychiatrists refer patients to the clergy. What keeps these two fields apart? What is best for your patient?
Groups are important throughout the course of a patient's therapy, especially for patients who have substance use disorders. Group therapy's clinical and cost benefit is evaluated for its efficacy in preventing and treating substance abuse.
Is history repeating itself? Has China taken up the political abuse of psychiatry by adopting the methods that made the Soviet Union infamous? That is the claim now being made by human rights groups who are calling on organized psychiatry to intervene.
Many patients, particularly those living in colder climates, can suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). What causes SAD and what are the treatment options for these patients?
Many adolescents experience depressive symptoms and some have episodes that go beyond transient feelings. Risk factors and predictive strategies are thwarted by the power of individual differences. Communicating with patient families; using the available innovative pharmacological, diagnostic and behavioral tools; and individualizing treatment approaches can improve outcomes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has distributed for comments the draft of a Manual on Mental Health Legislation as a guide for all the countries of the world. It is to serve as a model for new legislation and as a guide for countries amending their legislation. Given the different legal systems, the cultural diversity and the vast inequalities in economic resources among the nations of the world, one can certainly question the wisdom of the WHO's top-down approach. In addition, everyone who knows the scarcity of competent mental health care professionals and the limited resources in third world countries will recognize that most of the proposals are quite unrealistic. How can nations who cannot feed their poor or meet the basic necessities of public health measures and primary care be expected to provide "incompetent" mental patients with counsel (lawyers) and independent tribunals (courts) before they begin to treat them?
While anorexia nervosa was the first eating disorder to be recognized through the 19th century reports of Gull (1874) and Lassque (1873), bulimia nervosa and the less well-defined eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) syndromes are more common.
Patient Drug Information From Mass Media Sources
