Lesson 3: Culture and Mental Illness
Attention
Three questions that may not be easily answered:
The meaning of life,
The definition of reality,
The relationship of nature to nurture.
While writing this introduction to Lesson 3, I, Joel Goodstat, am listening to lyrics and music by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Iz for short.
I am being transported cognitively and emotionally to thoughts and feelings from childhood through music.
Iz performing Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Why does music "move" us so?
Is it because it is a message sent over time by a given culture? In this instance Iz's sweet and gentle interpretations of classic pieces. He and I, same brain, same auditory systems, BUT, different time and place. Our roots differ. This represents a personal comparison of how he grew up in a very different culture (Hawaii) than most of us did.
This Lesson will be about the impact of culture in the field of mental health.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
- Define culture, ethnicity, and race.
- Explore how culture and mental health coincide
- Define cultural competence
Teaching
Culture, Ethnicity, Nationality and Race
Read the following article about what the differences are and watch the video included in the article: http://theydiffer.com/difference-between-race-ethnicity-nationality-and-culture/
Race vs. Ethnicity
Race refers to a person's physical characteristics, such as bone structure and skin, hair, or eye color. Ethnicity, however, refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language.
An example of race is brown, white, or black skin (all from various parts of the world), while an example of ethnicity is German or Spanish ancestry (regardless of race) or Han Chinese. Your race is determined by how you look while your ethnicity is determined based on the social and cultural groups you belong to. You can have more than one ethnicities but you are said to have one race, even if it's "mixed race" (from http://www.diffen.com/difference/Ethnicity_vs_Race).
The Mental Health & You app presents issues related to stigma. "MHU app teaches people to recognize the signs of mental illness and provides resource links to treatments. Our app will give you the tools you need to help you assess a mental health crisis, provide help, and connect your friend or loved one to the resources they need."
____________________________________________________________________________________ This app is called myHomework Student Planner. We have included it here since it may be helpful for some of you as you begin to explore how best to organize and keep track of your work across the semester.
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How does culture, race and ethnicity affect the work we do with clients?
Read this article about the connection between culture, race, ethnicity and mental health treatment: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4228688/. From the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) http://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Diverse-Communities.
Diverse Communities
A person’s beliefs, norms, values and language affect how we perceive and experience mental health conditions. Cultural differences can influence whether or not we seek help, what type of help we seek, what coping styles and supports we have and what treatments might work for us. Diverse communities face many barriers such as higher levels of stigma, misinformation about mental health and language that prevent them from receiving care. Even when they are able to access treatment, these communities often receive poorer quality care due to lack of cultural competence, bias and inadequate resources. This results in misdiagnosis, dropping out of treatment and a longer time to achieve recovery.
However, when a mental health professional does take into account cultural needs and differences, outcomes can be significantly improved. Although everyone’s experience is unique, knowing about research, mental health perspectives and challenges specific to your community can help you get better treatment.
Read this link (and watch the video) which shares information from NAMI for individuals who identify themselves as Latino: http://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Diverse-Communities/Latino-Mental-Health
Read this link (and watch the video) which shares information from NAMI for individuals who identify themselves as African American: http://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Diverse-Communities/African-American-Mental-Health
I know these two links and video have some similarities but I felt it was important to review both since NAMI worked hard to bring in specific information that is directed to each of the different groups. As future mental health workers you will encounter clients from all different ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds. It is very important that you always bring a level of cultural competency to all of the work that you do.
Cultural competence is defined as a set of values, behaviors, attitudes, and practices within a system, organization, program or among individuals and which enables them to work effectively cross culturally. Further, it refers to the ability to honor and respect the beliefs, language, interpersonal styles and behaviors of individuals and families receiving services, as well as staff who are providing such services. Striving to achieve cultural competence is a dynamic, ongoing, developmental process that requires a long-term commitment from individuals and systems (Denboba, D. (1993). MCHB/DSCSHCN Guidance for Competitive Applications, Maternal and Child Health Improvement Projects for Children with Special Health Care Needs. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Services and Resources Administration).
Watch this video about Culture and Mental Health:
Culture, Mental Health and Ethnicity ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns1aVO5X6Co) (2:18 minutes)
Watch this video called:
Challenges and Rewards of a Culturally-Informed Approach to Mental Health( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrYmQDiunSc) (17:57 minutes)
I have focused this lesson on culture as it relates to the beliefs, values, norms and practices that are learnt and shared generation by generation. There are also other types of cultures around us such as a culture within a work environment that defines how employees should interact with each other as well as their superiors and subordinates. Then you have a culture in certain settings that defines how people should interact with each other. I came across this article this week regarding the culture of negativity in social media and thought it was an interesting twist on the concept of culture. Here is an article about the good and bad of social media, which know is affecting our current culture in positive and negative ways.
Please read these two articles:
What Impact Has Social Media Truly Had On Society
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/social-media/impact-social-media-truly-society-0974685#vzhrqyxdJWPmZlE7.99
Assessment
Lesson 3 Discussion (for online course only)
We each enter the field of mental health with our own positive and negative experiences regarding race, culture, and ethnicity. Please share an experience that involved one or more of these factors and how you dealt with it. Then share how you can use that experience to help you with current and future clients with mental health issues who may come from all different backgrounds.
Lesson 3 Quiz
1. What is the difference between race, culture and ethnicity? Why is this important when working with clients/consumers who have mental health issues?
2. What are you thoughts about the impact of social media on our current culture here in Maine and across the United States?