The Idealized Cultural Identities Model on Help-Seeking and Child Sexual Abuse: A Conceptual Model for Contextualizing Perceptions and Experiences of South Asian Americans

In this paper, we propose an interdisciplinary framework to study perceptions of child sexual abuse and help-seeking among South Asians living in the United States. We integrate research on social marginality, intersectionality, and cultural psychology to understand how marginalized social experience accentuates South Asian immigrants' desire to construct a positive self-identity. Using model minority ideology as an example of such a construction, we highlight its role in silencing the topic of child sexual abuse within this immigrant community as well as its impact on attitudes towards professional mental health services. We contend that our framework, the idealized cultural identities model on help-seeking and child sexual abuse, provides a unique analytical model for clinicians and researchers to understand how South Asian Americans process, experience, and react to child sexual abuse.     

The idealized cultural identities model on help-seeking and child sexual abuse: a conceptual model for contextualizing perceptions and experiences of South Asian Americans

In this paper, we propose an interdisciplinary framework to study perceptions of child sexual abuse and help-seeking among South Asians living in the United States. We integrate research on social marginality, intersectionality, and cultural psychology to understand how marginalized social experience accentuates South Asian immigrants' desire to construct a positive self-identity. Using model minority ideology as an example of such a construction, we highlight its role in silencing the topic of child sexual abuse within this immigrant community as well as its impact on attitudes towards professional mental health services. We contend that our framework, the idealized cultural identities model on help-seeking and child sexual abuse, provides a unique analytical model for clinicians and researchers to understand how South Asian Americans process, experience, and react to child sexual abuse.     

Therapeutic interactions in a medication education group. Using the psychopharmacology RACE.

1. The Psychopharmacology RACE is an interactive, innovative game that emphasizes group teaching about psychiatric medications and disorders at the clients' levels of functioning. 2. Implementation of the Psychopharmacology RACE provides the opportunity to structure a medication group, impart information, and facilitate the development of therapeutic group factors. 3. Interactive group learning with the Psychopharmacology RACE can be a useful tool to enhance learning when clients are unable to read and understand written materials.     

Kids' experience of post-modern stress: New tools for clinicians

A recent qualitative inquiry into the question of what it's like being a kid' provides clinicians who treat children with useful tools. It is very important that clinicians be effective in a world where the context of kids' lives is increasingly stressful and where clinicians are accused of contributing to the stress. This article describes the stresses on kids and accusations leveled at therapists. It then discusses the research methodology, findings relevant to stress, and implications for clinicians who work with children.Mrs. Ellis has a private practice and is a School Social Worker in Wilmette School District #39.     

Relationship Help-Seeking: A Review of the Efficacy and Reach

ABSTRACT

Formal and informal relationship help-seeking is becoming increasingly common. This article discusses seven forms of relationship help-seeking: couple therapy, couple relationship education, self-help books, internet resources, other media sources, talking with clergy, and talking with friends and family. The purpose of this literature review is to organize the relationship help-seeking research, bring to light some of the less accessible research, and offer recommendations to researchers and practitioners regarding the efficacy and reach of relationship help-seeking. In addition, differences in relationship help-seeking based on gender are explored and current relationship help-seeking trends are discussed.     

Screening for depression and suicide: self-report instruments that work

Self-report instruments for depression and suicide risk can help busy clinicians identify adult clients who may be at risk for depressive disorders. These instruments provide a baseline measure of clients' behavioral status, reflect response to treatment, and improve clinical decision making. Such scales can also detect symptoms of depression regardless of whether they are reported or observed. Clinicians' recognition of depression is improved when self-report screening tools are used. When it is not feasible to conduct a thorough psychiatric evaluation, screening instruments can identify at-risk clients who need further evaluation.     

Re-Collections of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Biopsychosocial Perspective

A number of theories—biological, psychological, and sociological—inform clinical practice with adults who report memories of childhood sexual abuse. However, each of these theories is inadequate in and of itself. This has several, potentially damaging clinical implications. Therapists might doubt the validity of their clients' reports of traumatic incidents, they may place too heavy an emphasis on the recollection of traumatic events, or they may shy away from discussing these events. Any of these responses can jeopardize the helping relationship, leaving clients without professional assistance in managing a most difficult emotional situation. This paper provides a review of the biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives that lie at the foundation of current practice. These perspectives are then integrated via social work's biopsychosocial perspective. This holistic view provides an empirical base for effective, ethical social work. Specific practice implications are discussed.     

A GENOGRAM WITH AN ATTITUDE

The approach described in this paper is predicated on the fundamental belief that in order to become competent and ethical practitioners, students must understand themselves and how they see others. They must be given tools and skills that facilitate examinations of their own assumptions and beliefs about themselves, other, and how the world works. It is also essential that students examine how these assumptions and beliefs will influence the way they choose to conduct therapy. Once they are aware of their biases, they must learn to choose to consciously influence themselves in a way that permits their clients the largest room for change within the clients' own contexts of belief, understanding, experience, and possibility. In this paper I describe the use of the genogram as a tool to facilitate the process of gaining self knowledge. This tool has been used in a multicultural counseling course, as well as in professional development workshops for psychologists, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists.     

What White Mental Health Professionals Need to Understand About Whiteness: A Delphi Study

This Delphi study surveyed an interdisciplinary panel of diversity expert trainers (N=20) about what white mental health professionals need to understand about whiteness. The panel endorsed 162 items that included what white mental health professionals need to understand about historical and contemporary whiteness within the mental health fields and larger social systems, self of the therapist work for white therapists, as well as challenges to understanding whiteness in clinical training and practice. More specifically, the panel provided guidance on the cognitive and emotional transformations necessary for white mental health professionals to address whiteness, as well as the challenges to those transformations. The researchers provide clinical training implications for marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and other clinicians based on the results.     

Mental Health and Asperger's Syndrome: What Clinicians Need to Know

The purpose of this paper is to explain what clinicians need to know and understand when treating individuals with Asperger's syndrome (AS). This paper addresses the presentation of AS and what clinicians need to focus on during intake, while establishing a therapeutic relationship, and the range and severity of co-morbid issues within this population. The paper also discusses diagnosis of AS and the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of symptoms of AS and explains the use of medication and psychosocial support.     

Boundaries and breakdowns: applying Agar's concept of ethnography to observations in a pediatric clinic.

This paper discusses a methodology for observing and describing interactions between clinicians and patients in an inner-city pediatric clinic serving families of diverse ethnicity. The framework is derived from Michael Agar's concept of ethnography as an interpretive, problem-resolving method. In Agar's model, the participant-observer moves cognitively and analytically from focusing on breakdown (awareness of a problem in understanding) to resolution (applying knowledge structures or schemas to bounded phenomena or strips) and ultimately to coherence. This framework applies not only to describing what the ethnographer does, but also stages in the clinician's efforts to communicate. Awareness of repeated breakdowns allows the ethnographer to document fundamental differences in expectations and premises that affect communication between clinician and patient. Two major types of breakdowns are discussed: those occurring between clinic staff and families, and those occurring between staff and ethnographer. Terminological and analytical modifications of Agar's method are recommended to reflect more accurately the ethnographer's degree of involvement in the communication breakdown (active resolution versus passive resolution). The paper concludes that Agar's model provides a useful structure for developing a systematic ethnographic language that can readily be demonstrated and communicated to clinicians.     

Help-seeking behaviors and attitudes of emerging adults: How college students reporting recent suicidal ideation utilize the internet compared to traditional resources

Abstract

Objective: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among emerging adults, yet little is known regarding their online help-seeking. Participants: The National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education's dataset (N=26,292). Methods: Students across the United States were recruited from 73 four-year institutions to participate during the 2010–2011 school year. Results: Observed the effectiveness of online and traditional help-seeking stratified by recent suicidal ideation related to their most distressful period in the past year. Females and younger students endorsed both types of help-seeking, yet those with recent ideation were less likely to disclose any help-seeking. Among those reporting recent ideation, only females reported that traditional supports were more than moderately helpful. Regardless of whether students endorsed ideation, students who were younger, engaged in risky behaviors and identified as females reported that online resources were more than moderately helpful. Conclusions: Online resources could potentially bridge barriers to traditional help-seeking for those reluctant to seek out care, yet traditional resources were reported to be the most effective among this sample.     

Art therapy. Enhancing psychosocial nursing

1. The creative process can be a means of reconciling conflicts and increasing awareness. 2. Art provides a permanent representation of clients' internal states and reflects the changes seen in the therapeutic progression. 3. Many psychological states lend themselves to a much greater extent to graphic representation, as opposed to verbalization. 4. Art holds the potential for enhancing the quality of therapy for clients by increasing expression and facilitating insight.     

Stifled Voices: Barriers to Help-Seeking Behavior for South African Childhood Sexual Assault Survivors

In South Africa, females under the age of 18 comprise approximately 40% of the rapes and other forms of sexual assault that occur. However, South African girls face multiple barriers to seeking help in the aftermath of sexual assault. This literature review provides an overview of childhood sexual assault in South African girls and addresses barriers to help-seeking behaviors. Risk factors as well as relevant sociocultural, economic, structural, and psychological perceptions regarding childhood sexual assault among South African girls are also discussed. Finally, clinical implications, culturally relevant psychotherapeutic techniques, and suggestions for future research are provided in an effort to reduce the negative mental health consequences for the victims.     

Effects of sexuality on lesbians' experiences of depression

1. Lesbians are members of every racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic group. 2. Very little is known about depression in lesbians, and thus far, study findings are conflicting. However, depression in lesbians seems to be underpinned by relationship issues and levels of social support. 3. Caring for lesbian clients requires nurses to think holistically, understand their clients' sexuality within the context of their life experiences, and demonstrate respect and acceptance.     

“Technology Doesn’t Judge You”: Young Australian Women’s Views on Using the Internet and Smartphones to Address Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive social issue. Younger women tend to experience the highest rates of violence, associated with a range of negative health outcomes. Although interventions in health settings have shown promise, younger women may be reluctant to access services or discuss relationships with a health professional. Delivering an IPV intervention online or via a smartphone has the potential to overcome some of these barriers. Little is known, however, about how young women might perceive such an intervention, or what factors might influence its uptake. Drawing on focus groups interviews, we explore the views of young Australian women on using a website or application to address IPV. Azjen’s Theory of Planned Behavior is used to help understand the beliefs and norms around technology and help-seeking for IPV. Findings highlight the potential for technological interventions to become a valuable addition to the resources available to young women.     

The Relationship of Social Support to African American Caregivers' Help-Seeking for Emotional Problems

This study analyzes whether social support serves as a link to or substitute for formal services among African American female caregivers seeking help with emotional problems. It also analyzes other determinants of help-seeking. It relies on data from the Black Rural and Urban Caregivers Mental Health and Functioning Study and is guided by a modified version of the behavioral model of health services use. Using hierarchical binary logistic regression, analyses reveal that only age, stress, and support from fellow church members are statistically significantly associated with the likelihood of help-seeking. These results support the linking hypothesis, suggesting that the social support received by African American women caregivers in the context of their religious organizations helps to link them to services.     

A meaningful entrance: photo therapy as a psychotherapuetic intervention

Photo therapy is a technique that mental health clinicians can use to motivate therapeutic discussions with clients. The explicit focus is on the photograph rather than on the client; this provides a feeling of emotional safety. Images stimulate clients to project their own interpretations. A picture, used as a therapeutic process tool, provides a meaningful entrance into an undefended side door of the mind to allow for emotional healing.