P2 - Abnormal - Role of Culture in Treatments Flashcards
how is culture affecting treatment?
- Clinical encounter between therapist and client is an intercultural exchange and the effectiveness of treatment could depend on the effectiveness of this intercultural exchange.
- Treatment is decided on the basis of symptoms, with little to no consideration of the individual’s cultural background
what did the Office of the Surgeon General (2001) say
- White people are more likely to seek treatment than minority groups
- Minority cultural groups may seek informal treatment from family, friends, clergy and traditional healers
- Language is the most immediate barrier
- Marian and Neisser (2000) found people find it easier to recall events from their past in their native language than in their new language, regardless of language proficiency
- Asian-Americans and African-Americans metabolise antidepressants more slowly which impacts severity of side effects
what is the issue in culture of treatment
studies into culture and mental health can lead to stereotypying, racial profiling and therefore racism.
what is the study for treatment preferences in culture?
Givens et al (2007)
what is the aim of givens et al
to explore the role of ethnicity in preferences for depression treatments
what is the procedure of givens et al
cross-sectional internet survey to more than 75,000 participants of varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds, measuring treatment preferences, stigma and attitudes regarding depression.
what are the findings of givens et al
- African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Lations prefer counselling over medication
- European-American prefer medication over counselling
- South Asian prefer self management
- Ethnic minority respondents were less likely to view medications as effective and saw counselling and prayer were more effective in treating depression.
what is the conclusion of givens et al
Indivdual’s ethnic and cultural background is likely to have a considerable influence over which treatments may be effective.
strengths of givens et al
+ temporal validity, so we can apply it to today’s culture
+ good sample size, very generalisable
+ real life applifcation
weaknesses of givens et al
- Self answer questionnaire – subjective and social desirability bias
- Questionnaire only collects quantative data
- How far are they willing to conform to their cultural background
how do cultural dimensions affect treatmetn
collectivistic or individualistic cultures, collectivistic cultures are more likely to comply due to the social harmony
research support for culture based compliance to treatment
Kinzie et al (1987)
aim of kinzie et al
to investigate compliance to treatment in Southeast Asian patients who are typically part of ‘collectivistic’ cultures
procedure of kinzie
Examined 41 Southeast Asian patients who underwent long-term treatment of depression with tricylic antidepressants in US clinics
findings of kinzie
TCS blood levels were examined and no detectable medicine was found in 61% of participants
A therapeautic level was examined in 15%
Only 24% took the full treatment
Compliance was highr in Cambodian participants than Vietnamese participants
Reasons for low meds: participnats reluctance to take it if its too strong, increased sensitivity to side effects and social stigma
cultural attitudes towards authority may lead participants to maintain appearance of following their guidance.
After a discussion of the benefits and problems with antidepressants, compliance improved with Vietnamese and Cambodians but not with Mien
