Understanding Mental Disorders

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the current state of scholarship with regard to how language and culture can impact the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. The paper contends that there is much research but still relatively little in the way of concrete guidance for the therapist in everyday practice. The paper claims that is necessary for behavioral health professionals to first look at their own attitudes toward diversity and then for them to recognize and accept the reality of difference in the people they will deal with. The paper asserts that before a therapist can accurately create either a diagnosis or a treatment plan, he or she must understand where the subject comes from, not only as far as personal history but with respect to the cultural views that shape response to whatever happened to the person individually.

Outline
Introduction
The Scope of the Issue
Language
Cross-cultural Prevalence of Mental Disorders
Methodology
Review of Literature
How Well is the Issue Being Addressed?

From the Paper:

"These issues do not just present treatment problems. How can one ethically diagnose and treat someone he or she does not understand? It becomes a most serious matter of being incompetent to provide adequate treatment to the Asian or Arab immigrant. It is also frequently the case that, as professionals, counselors are not aware that the African-American or Hispanic-American person sitting across the desk, comes from a different cultural perspective even though he or she may have been born and raised in this country. Bluntly, incompetence is not acceptable in any health care setting. It would seem that it is now necessary for members of the behavioral health professions to develop new skills and tools if they are to deserve the confidence and trust of the people they will be treating."

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• Essay # 26887 : "Understanding Psychopathology"
• Analytical Essay # 149129 : "An Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders"

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