Latino/a Americans are also one of the fastest growing ethnic minority groups according to the United States Census Bureau (date). When looking into the Latino/a American culture, the most important values leisure time, activities, the Catholic church, and family relationships (Saracho & Spodek, 2005). Andres-Hyman, Ortiz, Anez, Paris, and Davidson (2006) state Latino/a Americans, like Asian Americans and African Americans, value collectivism, interdependence, and cooperation. Religion is also extremely important to the family and plays a huge role in daily life. Some families believe being socially well-educated is more important than being academically well-educated, and if an individual knows how to behave properly in a social setting, they will honor their family in the eyes of the community (Saracho & Spodek, 2005, p. 212). Latino/as rely on their family, community, traditional healers, and/or church for help during a health crisis, and value marianismo, which refers to traits in women including moral nurturing and self-sacrifice (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2014); the male counterpart, machismo refers to the belief that men should be strong and provide for their families (Andres-Hymean et al., 2006). Andres-Hyman et al. talk about the three major cultural constructs worth noting in the Latino American culture. The first construct is dignidad y respeto, which means dignity and respect. Familismo means family values and emphasizes family relationships and family loyalty. Lastly, personalismo refers to relating to one another on a personal level instead of a formal or institutional level. Latino/a culture also values building interpersonal relationships, and if one is unable to interact with others due to a... ... middle of paper ... ...tp://www.uniteforsight.org/mental-health/module2 United States Census Bureau. (2013). Asians fastest-growing race or ethnic group in 2012, census bureau reports. Retrieved on March 8, 2014 fromhttps://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb13-112.html US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). (1999). Mental health: A report of the surgeon general. Rockville, MD: David Satcher. Ward, E., & Heidrich, S. (2009). African American women's beliefs about mental illness, stigma, and preferred coping behaviors.Research In Nursing & Health, 32, 480-492.doi:10 Whaley, A. L. (1997). Ethnic and racial differences in perceptions of dangerousness of persons with mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 48, 1328-1330. Wimberly, E.P. (1997). Counseling African American marriages and families [Electronic Version]. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
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Show MoreMental health is defined, according to the Oxford Dictionary, as a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. The idea of mental health is constantly subject to changes based on social values and beliefs of individual responsibility. Perceptions of the topic change more than any other category of clinically recognized issues. Many people believe mental illnesses are not as severe as individuals claim and can be fixed by just a change of mindset, forcing people affected to adapt without guidance or aid. Society cannot fully grasp what mental health and related illnesses are and the degree of their effects on the day to day life of individuals, which is why people affected face many stigmas. The lack of knowledge
As a traditional, collectivistic cultural group, the Latino population is believed to adhere deeply to the value of familismo. (Arditti, 2006; Calzada, 2014). Familism is an emphasis on the importance of the family unit over values of autonomy and individualism”. (Santistaben, 2012). Family is considered to be the top priority in the Latino culture. Comparatively, at times, this isn’t true of our busy, work devoted western culture. In western culture we think of our family in a nuclear sense made up of a: mom, dad, and siblings. Conversely, Hispanic culture focuses on the whole extended family including aunts, uncles, grandparent, and cousins. Their culture believes having close connections with the entire extended family benefits the development of their children. The entire family helps the child by giving them differing levels of social and emotional support. (American Home Resolutions,
Family is the most important social unit of Hispanic life. It is a close-knit entity that includes immediate and extended family members. Typically, the father is the head of the family and the mother rules the house (Clutter, n.d.). Vacations are usually taken to relatives’ houses to promote togetherness in celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, and communions. In times of need, the family is the first line of aid, and Hispanics typically live with their parents until marriage. While this deviates from American ideals for individuals aged 18-35, it actually provides young adults the opportunity for future success because so much money is saved from greatly reduced housing costs (Williams, 2009).
In Sherman Alexie’s novel Indian Killer, there are many characters who struggle with mental disorders. Alexie states “She was manic-depressive and simply couldn’t take care of herself,” this is just one of the mental illnesses suffered in the book (212). Mental disorders are prevalent in the United States. All races are at risk of mental illness. In the article "Mental Health and Substance Abuse Characteristics Among a Clinical Sample of Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youths in a Large California Metropolitan Area: a Descriptive Study" Daniel Dickerson and Carrie Johnson state “AI/ANs [American Indians/ Alaska Native] between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest suicide rates in the United States compared to other racial/ethnic groups” (Dickerson and Johnson, 56). Native Americans are highly perceptible to mental illness due to the historical trauma their culture has endured.
Within minority communities, self-stigma is a more prominent factor in their aversion to mental health treatment. In the article, “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mental Illness Stigma and Discrimination Among Californians Experiencing Mental Health Challenges,” Eunice Wong explains a variety of feelings in ethnic minorities towards self-stigma. “Asian-Americans reported higher levels of self-stigma (with respect to feeling inferior to others who have not had a mental health problem. Latinos interviewed in English also experienced higher levels of self-stigma (with respect to feeling embarrassed, ashamed, and not being understood because of a mental health problem) and were more likely to say that they would conceal a potential mental health problem from coworkers or classmates than whites” (Wong). It makes sense for self-stigma to be seen more in a negative light, which Wong shows through a research study with ethnic minorities. Asian-Americans and Latinos associate self-stigma with inward feelings of shame or inferiority already illustrates how this is a problem when it comes to acknowledging mental illness (Wong). The Latinos in the study also mentioned how they would be more likely to conceal mental illness from their personal community than Whites because of self-stigma, which is a common behavior among minorities (Wong). Latinos conceal their mental illness from
3) Surgeon General's Report: "Mental Health- Culture, Race, Ethnicity" . A supplement to "Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General 1999."
"Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General - Chapter 3." Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). Web. 25 May 2010. .
"Mental Illness Overview." Congressional Digest 81.1 (2002): 3. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
Understanding where one’s natural impulses come from may be difficult to understand without looking at past generations and family history. Knowing that generations before us helped shape our development is important to note. Generational trends can help explain the importance of said values. Through analysis of my cultural genogram I found that many of my core values came from my Mexican culture, despite having had great exposure to values established by the dominant culture here in the United States. I found that my family over many generations regarded familismo, respeto, religion, and work ethic as highly important values. It is important to deeply analyze where these values came from, how they may be oppressed, and how
Billingsley, Andrew P.H.D. "Understanding African- American Family Diversity." The State Of Black America 1990., National Urban League, 1990.
Ward, Earlise C. African American Women's Beliefs about Mental Illness, Stigma, and Preferred Coping Behaviors. Madison: Wiley Periodicals, 2009. Print.
In today’s society, the stigma around mental health has caused many people to fear seeking medical treatment for problems they are dealing with. With an abundance of hateful outlooks and stereotypical labels such as: crazy, psycho, and dangerous, it is clear that people with a mental illness have a genuine reason to avoid pursuing medical treatments. Along with mental health stigma, psychiatric facilities that patients with a mental health issue attend in order to receive treatment obtain an excessive amount of unfavorable stereotypes.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, 1999.
Kahn, Ada P., and Jan Fawcett. The Encyclopedia of Mental Health. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2001.
Star,S.A.(1955). The public’s ideas about mental illness. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Mental Health.