Making a Case for Culturally Competent Mental Healthcare

Paper

Friday, 21 July 2006

This presentation is part of : Culturally Competent Care Practices

June L. Leishman, PhD, MEd(Hons), RMN, RNT, RCNT, School of Social and Health Sciences, The University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom

Learning Objective #1: understand the complexity of cultural diversity as it related to mental health and mental heatlh care
Learning Objective #2: identify how diverse mental heatlh needs through culturally competent mental health practice

As the population of the UK becomes more multicultural, we are tasked with ensuring that our health care practitioners are prepared to meet the complex needs of an increasingly culturally diverse client population. The challenges and benefits of preparing the healthcare workforce for a diversified and pluralist society are well represented in the literature (Green et al 2002, McLean et al 2003, Papdopolous et al 2003). However, this has until relatively recently been carried out in other countries. For example, the demographic shift in the United States of America over the past century presented new challenges to heath care educators and practitioners and led to the development of the multicultural counselling movement (D’Andrea et al 1991). As the United Kingdom becomes more culturally diverse, we need to stay ‘abreast of the diversity of our patients’ cultures’ (Boyle, 2000) and to understand the cultural dimensions to health beliefs and behaviours. Alongside this we also need to be attuned to the socio-political and economic issues that are embedded within the desire for populations to shift from one country to another and be sensitive to the implications for these movements on individuals and their families.

Human diversity is not limited to race and ethnicity. It exists wherever there are differences, which include inter alia, age, gender, experience, socio-economic status. That being said, however, this paper is concerned with the impact that demographic changes currently affecting the UK have on mental health practice.

The aim of the study was to

Determine the current level of cultural awareness of mental health practitioners engaged in working with clients and client groups across a range of practice areas
To identify gaps in the education and training available for these practioners
To propose a model of culturally sensitive mental health care

See more of Culturally Competent Care Practices
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)