This year, I have decided to start a video blog series to discuss various mental health topics. In this first post I discuss the impact of stress and provide three simple tips to stay mentally healthy.
Thanks for your continues support and visiting my website. -Dr. Turner
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The National Institute of Health (NIH) describes culture as the combination of a body of knowledge that involves things such as personal identification, language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions that are often specific to ethnic, racial, religious, geographic, or social groups. Cultural competency is the practice of recognizing how these elements influences an individuals behavior; and therapist who provide culturally sensitive services incorporate culture into their treatment approaches. Why is cultural competency important? The demographics of the United States continue to change and communities are becoming more diverse. Cultural competency is critical to reducing health disparities and improving access to high-quality health care, health care that is respectful of and responsive to the needs of diverse patients. Given the increase in diversity and the high representation of therapist who are from non-diverse backgrounds, cultural competency is extremely important. To read more about cultural competency click here. Tips to determine if your therapist is culturally competent 1. If you discuss alternative coping methods to address your distress (such as praying, reading religious material, or talking to a pastor), your therapist attempts to understand how things things are important to you and/or your family. 2. When faced with difficult issues related to discrimination or social injustice, your therapist does not discount the value of your concerns. 3. Family connectedness important to many - and sometime very important in in many ethnic and cultural groups. Does your therapist encourage family members to be involved in your treatment (if appropriate)? 5. Many racial groups and cultures have beliefs about the causes of distress or mental illness. Does your therapist ask about your understanding of the cause of your symptoms? 6. Verbal and non-verbal communication (what we say and do) often hold different levels of importance for various groups. If your therapist works to understand your individual and group communication styles they recognize the importance of culture to treatment. These are just a few examples of ways to determine if your therapist is trained in cultural competency. Does your therapist have skills? Copyright 2014 Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/drearlturner) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/DrEarlTurner). Join the conversation and discuss other topics related to parenting, mental health, wellness, and psychology. Our children are significantly impacted by mental health concerns and deserve a chance to be successful in life. Research has found that untreated mental illness during childhood may be a risk factor for suicide, substance abuse, involvement with the correctional system, failure to complete high school, and adult psychopathology. According to the statistics, 1 in 5 children suffer from problems severe enough to cause some level of impairment. However, only about half of those children get the needed help. Among ethnic minority families, lack of mental health treatment is reportedly much higher (e.g., Kataoka, Zhang, & Wells, 2002). What are the reasons for mental health disparities? One of the major reasons is stigma. As a society, we often use the terms “mental illness” and “mental health” interchangeably. This may be one reason why their remains to be a huge stigma towards using mental health services. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is a difference between mental illness and mental health. Mental illness is described as a condition or disorder that is characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress and impairment in functioning. On the other hand, mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes their own abilities and can cope with the daily stresses of life. Given societies ‘view towards seeking treatment it is important that we begin to distinguish between mental health and mental illness more often to decease negative views towards individuals who suffer in an effort to make people feel more open about getting help. In my own research on mental health disparities, I have found that fears about psychotherapy also prevent people from seeking help due to concerns about therapist responsiveness and negative judgments (Turner & Mills, 2013). To address these issues, it is importance for use to continue providing education to both the public and professionals to decrease barriers. When should you get help? Recently, the American Psychological Association developed a digital campaign to discuss that psychotherapy works. The website offers facts and information to better understand therapy and how it can be helpful. Below are more things to consider when deciding if you should seek professional help:
If your answer is “yes” to any of those question. Psychotherapy may be helpful. Remember “your health begins with mental health!” Copyright Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D. 2014 Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter! |
AuthorDr. Turner is a licensed psychologist with expertise in behavioral pediatrics, child mental health, disruptive behavior disorders, and minority mental health. He is also certified as a National Register Health Service Psychologist. Archives
May 2017
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