Ethnic Psychiatry

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. Introduction

   • Charles B. Wilkinson

   Pages 1-12

3. The Mental Health of Black Americans

   • Charles B. Wilkinson, Jeanne Spurlock

   Pages 13-60

4. Hispanics

   • Cervando Martinez Jr

   Pages 61-88

5. Therapy for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

   • Joe Yamamoto

   Pages 89-142

6. An Integrative Approach to American Indian Mental Health

   • R. Dale Walker, Robin LaDue

   Pages 143-194

7. Back Matter

   Pages 195-199

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Today there is an overall greater awareness and acceptance of ethnic diversity in American society and a clearer definition of the United States as a pluralistic nation. The last U.S. census showed that well over 100 million Americans, white and non­ white, identify with an ethnic group. Ethnicity is indicative of more than the personal distinc­ tiveness derived from race, religion, national origin, or ge­ ography. It denotes the culture of people-that powerful yet subtle factor that shapes values, attitudes, perceptions, needs, modes of expression, patterns of behavior, and identity. From a clinical perspective ethnicity involves conscious and uncon­ scious processes that fulfill deep psychological needs for se­ curity, a sense of one's own proper dignity, and a sense of historical continuity as well. These functional aspects of eth­ nicity reinforce the notion that culture is of significant value to the quality of life and the mental health of all individuals. In the preventive and therapeutic sense, ethnicity sustains a capacity for coping with stress by providing communal support systems which serve to buffer the excessive indi­ vidualism, alienation, and anomie of modem mass culture. Hence, to ensure appropriate delivery of mental health ser­ vices to a particular ethnic population, mental health profes­ sionals must first become cognizant of the positive aspects vii FOREWORD viii and strengths to be drawn from a particular group identity and then incorporate these elements into their treatment strat­ egies or techniques.

• coping
• diagnosis
• identity
• psychiatry
• quality of life
• rehabilitation
• stress
• therapy

• Greater Kansas City Mental Health Foundation and University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Health, Kansas City, USA

  Charles B. Wilkinson

Policies and ethics