Words: 2077
People come from different ethnic groups and the range of diversity varies and Aries over time and between different populations, the knowledge of knowing the differences of physical and mental health can help to improve the healthcare of each population. Despite many of misunderstandings, ignorance and prejudice in this topic, there can be a change in the system and how we treat individual with our customs and what we think is normal, many individuals will never see physical and mental illness the same, being mindful if that can help everyone in our communities.
This paper will highlight important themes concerning the mental health of these populations, both molarities and differences and lastly I will end this with a summary of my own experience and possible ideas for further future research. Similarities Asians/Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Hispanic Americans are a large ethnic group in the United States. The extended family has a very significant role and the oldest male is most likely to be the decision maker of the family (Open, 2013).
This is a sign of respect and honor for the family for authority but when it comes to physical and mental health many doctors in the health care professional will recommend certain medication and cure for the attention. This decision ultimate refers back to the oldest male who will then decide, because of certain behaviors, this will reflect greatly on the family. Many groups such as the Latino Americans, Asians, Arab/Middle Eastern and African Americans report their physical and mental health in the aspect of their religious belief (Open, 2013).
Among each ethnic group, many believe that such mental illness is due to spiritual beliefs, for example, phenomena’s, demons or any sort of evil being that will portray that individual (Open, 2013). As we can see, many European Americans will find this view wrong which dads to potential harm to their patient (Framer, 2012). In the Native Americans, they greatly value on family and spiritual beliefs, they strongly believe that a state of health exists when a person is living in harmony with nature, fairly similar to the previous theme wrote for the other ethnic groups.
Illness in the Native American culture is viewed not as an alteration in a person’s physiological state but as previously stated, an imbalance between the individual who is ill caused by natural or supernatural forces (Framer, 2012). The important theme here is to consider that each ethnic roof follows these specific forces on their beliefs that cause these imbalances. As we can see each ethnic group bring out their own unique perspective and values to their health care system and many of these health care beliefs and their practices are very different from our traditional American health care.
What greatly impacts each ethnic group is the fact of health care professionals having expectation that their patient will somehow drop their beliefs and adopt the American perspective. It is because of these expectations that allow barriers to be created which can lead to nowhere and his is surely something as a future health care professional we must adopts and change (Framer, 2012). In regards to men and women, the amount of reports gone out to health care providers have been women, and what does this say to us?
Many women experience a tremendous amount of pain, sadness, stress, anxiety, depression because of “again referring back to my previous paragraph,” expectations (Framer, 2012). Now if we focus on what certain health issues develop in women because of stress and pressure by our society, breast cancer, , eating disorders and other risk, and what about men? Well men experience their form of distress similar to women because of their expectation and roles as dominant leaders, expect health wise men experience their illnesses different, lung cancer, and other high risk incidents (Framer, 2012).
If we focus on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender population, how do they differ from discrimination, or pressure by our society? It is the same and it doesn’t change, our media creates this atmosphere of poison and single view of how things should be and this needs to stop, it surprises me to see that till today, their behavior and negative influence continues, and I feel like it has only expanded more (Framer, 2012). Differences Ethnic and cultural differences can affect patient’s perspective about our medical care and their ability to understand, manage or what diagnosis even means to each ethnic group and cultural (Open, 2013).
Each ethnic group brings their own ideas and concepts of physical and mental health, for example how a Hispanic will experience symptoms of depression vs.. An African American who’s undergoing the same diagnosis but different symptoms (Open, 2013). Each ethnic group has certain expectation for their lath care and their beliefs about treatments and medication (Open, 2013). Culture also has certain values that influence them as a patient, for example how dying will be managed, gender or family roles or certain decision making about their health (Open, 2013).
Let us focus on the Latin Americans, and Asian, whose life expectancy are great but get professional help from our healthcare system and treatment differently. Asian/Pacific Islanders participate less in any form of therapeutic solutions (Framer, 2012). This is a common problem due to financial struggling and language barrier. European American use their healthcare service at a very high rate than any other ethnic group and culture and pressures a lot of ethnic groups in our society to conform to this custom way (Framer, 2012).
This causes many issues such as, an inability to meet certain culture expectation and demand that is placed by our countries health care system. Such example can be seen in both the Latin American and African American (Framer, 2012). In the Latin American many are at risk for depression and other serious illness because of the expectation that the socio economics and in African Americans, clinicians are en with fear which hold the therapists back from performing his/hers actual session properly without being careful and hesitant which puts African Americans at greater risk for any sort Of illness (Framer, 2012).
The Asian/ Pacific Islander respect and value the role of the therapists but rely on their wisdom and belief to help them and their family. The fact that each ethnic group has a different concept of their own view of healthcare makes each ethnic group distinctly different, especially in treatments and therapeutics settings (Framer, 2012). My Personal Reactions
This chapter was very interested in learning I’ve gain a lot of different characteristics of physical and mental health of the different ethnic and culture groups and it has opened my eyes to see what the different ways in which each ethnic group and culture is affected by mental illness and physical health. As a Hispanic American, I refused to believe in supernatural forces and I knew that we are such a very venerable population, mostly because we are limited in our sources in our own country and we try so hard to adapt into the European American customs.
Most Of all my family has endured certain illness or a loss and majority of them do refuse to seek help here in the U. S. I just feel like my own ethnic group is very isolated, yet if we look at the African Americans, Native Americans they experience the same isolation as we do. I feel as if it is too late for the old generation and when this change does ever occurs in which our system will be culturally competent, many of the old generation won’t be around to see it, I know for a fact my own parents wont and even if they do, they follow so much of the Hispanic traditions they do to see what I am doing.
But for the first time I learned something very important, those in my communities can do something different for them, this surely turns into not my own problems or issue, but the concerning of those my community who are being affected negatively, this is a change that not only those around the community will see but the world when a new system comes into place. As always, I’ve always been curious to do further research in the Arab/Middle Eastern culture, I find their ways of living and concepts very intriguing, so my for my additional research I will look into.
In he reading, their religious and ceremonial have a lot of influence in their life’s routine and this is the area particularly I would like to explore knowing that I have several Middle Eastern friends and in my internship at the Charter School we have a high population of Middle Eastern and I believe this research will allow me to connect and understand this ethnic group (Framer, 2012).
Additional Research The Middle Eastern is a very unique culture, for example they wear an amulet to protect themselves from evil or burn incense to keep evil away which many cultures can relate to, did not know though. Although not all their practices are performed, many are considered harmful to the human health. Arab culture and Islamic strongly emphasize in quality good health, such as good hygiene and diet, they also have a strong value in the modern western medicine and have strong confidence in it.
The Middle Eastern culture is a culture that has very low patience, and seek professional help right away, they are considered very anxious and anxious to receive treatment and medication for their condition (Framer, 2012). The Arab/ Middle Eastern believe that recovery from any illness has to do with seeking a repressions treatment and also by their religious, so by God’s will, which is unique because it is a combination of both modern western medicine and their own belief as well vs.. In the Latin American it is mostly relied on God to cure the individual.
Death is actually seen by god’s decision the Middle Eastern culture, which again surprises me and their unique style of belief (Framer, 2012). My Self Awareness I’ve had my share of extreme biases to particular ethnic groups, I guess more or so in my own and the African Americans. In my own culture, Latin Americans, I’ve always had this view of hopelessness for them, being in a large family remember our old tradition of my grandfather always making decisions for everyone, especially their physical and mental health.
I remember how frightening it was to see a doctor or therapists when we were little, and it makes sense now because shortly when my father started bringing me here to the United States I surely and slowly started shifting my beliefs and view of physical and mental health in this custom. Am sure this is when my biased formed strongly, especially in the times when certain family embers were very ill and told that it is god punishing them or a demon because thieve had done something that shouldn’t of done.
I thought to myself, it’s dumb, they are family they make mistakes it doesn’t mean we can’t take them to get professional help, and I began to hate this spiritual, supernatural force that everyone in my family believed it. Earlier this year thought so the same, African Americans, Asians, Arab/Middle Eastern but I was wrong to of think. As learn more about the broader life of all ethnic groups gain a much greater sense of awareness of others and their values ND beliefs systems in all aspect especially physical and mental health and even though it may be very different from mine, we all share this common idea, thought of a belief.
As continue my education I gain much more information and research on various treatments options that I have yet to explore, in order to become an effective therapists must be open in my approach to others, I believe this path will allow me to become culturally competent, I hope that I will try and try my hardest to eliminate any bias and reduce as much harm as possible, it is important that we all seek this path, to only for our next generation but for a much more stable system.