Culturally Sensitive Health Care and Counseling Psychology: An Overview

Abstract

This article introduces the Major Contribution, which focuses on counseling psychologists' roles in addressing health disparities through culturally sensitive health care research and interventions. First, the authors provide a rationale for conducting research focused on culturally sensitive health care and then offer definitions of patient-centered culturally sensitive health care and related terms, drawing from both the health care and counseling psychology literatures. In addition, the authors address the broader question of how factors such as culturally sensitive health care influence health outcomes through an analysis of psychosocial mechanisms of health. Finally, the authors outline how counseling psychologists' expertise in a variety of areas can be applied to the medical field, and they briefly summarize progress that the field of counseling psychology has already made to this end.

Culturally Tailored Smoking Cessation for Adult American Indian Smokers

“…Other factors that contribute to health disparities in AI/AN and other culturally diverse communities include oppression, socioeconomic challenges, and discrimination (Buki, 2007; Buki & Selem, 2012; Herman et al, 2007; Tucker et al, 2007). In particular, AI/AN communities have suffered centuries of oppression through forced relocation of tribes, language and culture suppression, forced assimilation, and removal of AI/AN children from families to send them to government-run boarding schools (Evans-Campbell, 2008; Whitbeck, Adams, Hoyt, & Chen, 2004).…”

Professional issues in Canadian counselling psychology: Identity, education, and professional practice.

“…These roles are highly congruent with counselling psychology's traditional focus on developing client strengths and providing support for life transitions and decision making, particularly when one considers Levant's (2011) observation that many of the top health risk factors have lifestyle and decision components (e.g., alcohol or tobacco use, poor diet, unsafe sex). Further, Herman et al (2007) argue the counselling psychology focus on resilience and empowerment is relevant for patients whose medical experiences produce feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability, as may occur for those managing chronic conditions. Greater participation in health care is not without its challenges.…”

New Visions of Me: Finding Joy in Recovery With Women Who Are Homeless

“…This is especially important for African American and Latina women, who are significantly overrepresented in the homeless population; statistics from New Haven, Connecticut, show that 43% of homeless women are African American and 31% are Latina. Given the likelihood of roughly comparable rates of behavioral health needs across these populations, one may surmise that these differences are related to a number of issues including stigma, cultural and linguistic barriers, poverty, lack of knowledge about where to seek treatment, lack of bilingual/bicultural staff, and lack of empirically supported treatments appropriate for and responsive to the needs and preferences of the population (Cuellar & Paniagua, 2000;Herman et al, 2007;Spitzer, 2005).…”