Decolonizing mental health practice: Reconstructing an Asian-centric framework through a social justice lens.

Millner, Uma Chandrika; Maru, Mihoko; Ismail, Aliya; Chakrabarti, Urmi

doi:10.1037/aap0000268

Cited by 20 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…This criterion implies that moving away from one’s family, friends, and social support network is preferable to remaining part of one’s local community. For some BIPOC and immigrants, this criterion will be in direct contrast to their cultural, community, and personal values (Millner et al, 2021; Tseng, 2004). It also implies that making new social support networks anywhere one goes is easy, which may not be the case for many minoritized people, whose cultural groups may not be present in other locales.…”

Section: Results Of the Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, BIPOC applicants are precisely those who are most likely to have overcome adversity (e.g., homelessness, poverty, food insecurity; Hofmann, 2021; Maroto et al, 2015), and they are more likely to hold collectivistic values that emphasize serving the community, which is considered a noble goal in most non-White ethnic groups (Millner et al, 2021). Further, extracurriculars are not considered vitally important in most graduate school admissions (Jones et al, 2020), but programmes should consider the extracurricular activities of applicants, and in particular those that are community-oriented, as many BIPOC invest their extra energies into supporting their communities (Millner et al, 2021). Some applicants’ extracurricular activities may involve knowledge mobilization efforts (i.e., creating, disseminating, or evaluating the impact of knowledge) such as developing or delivering community-based programmes, which are at least as valuable as traditional academic outputs (see Phipps et al, 2016, for an introduction to phases of knowledge mobilization).…”

Section: Discussion: Potential Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Increasing the representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour as students in psychology doctoral programmes.

Sarr¹,

Knight²,

Strauss³

et al. 2022

Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne

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There have been persistent calls for increased representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) in all aspects of the psychology workforce. For equity to occur in the profession and delivery of services, there must be equity in access to graduate-level training in psychology. In this article, we discuss systemic racial inequity in access to Canadian psychology graduate programmes. We reviewed literature to investigate admissions evaluation criteria for racial bias using the University of Ottawa, School of Psychology's publicly available ranking grid as an example. This scoring grid provides a transparent evaluation process that includes elements common to many Canadian programmes. We reviewed literature relevant to predictive validity and racial bias in the grid elements. Our review was guided by two questions: (a) What evidence is there that ranking grid items and other commonly used admissions criteria predict psychology graduate student success? (b) Do the criteria maintain systemic racial bias in the selection of graduate students? We found that all items on the admissions ranking grid were biased, suggesting that racial bias in admissions criteria maintains systemic racism against BIPOC applicants. We propose both concrete and policy/advocacy recommendations to improve access to psychology graduate education for BIPOC groups; these recommendations may benefit other underrepresented groups as well. Public Significance StatementBIPOC are disproportionately underrepresented in Canadian graduate psychology programmes, resulting in few BIPOC working in psychology professions in Canada. This lack of representation has devastating impacts on the profession of psychology as a whole (e.g., lack of diverse thought), and importantly, the health of racialized communities (e.g., lack of culturally appropriate practices and services). The recommendations provided herein can inform changes in policy and procedures to promote racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in the field of psychology.

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Section: Results Of the Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussion: Potential Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing the representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour as students in psychology doctoral programmes.

Sarr¹,

Knight²,

Strauss³

et al. 2022

Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Current psychology adopts a "western gaze" on mental illness (Waheed & Skinner, 2022), developed by the west and applied to western populations. Furthermore, recent literature asserts that modern psychology has been heavily influenced by western colonialism to the exclusion of other fields of thought (Millner et al, 2021;Iqbal & Skinner, 2021;Waheed & Skinner, 2022;Kaplick & Skinner, 2017;Skinner, 2019). Therefore, current mental health provisions, exclude populations and cultures that do not align with the western paradigm.…”

Section: Early Intervention For Psychosis (Eip)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural inequalities in access to Early Intervention for Psychosis services in the United Kingdom

Friskney¹,

Branney²,

Iqbal³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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While reviews of evidence suggests that early intervention for psychosis can reduce risk of transition to psychosis, they also highlight that we need to understand early intervention cross culturally and for different health service models. Black and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately disadvantaged in mental healthcare settings in many Western countries and in the United Kingdom and are more likely to be treated in acute settings rather than early intervention. The primary aim of this systematic review was to explore the experiences of South Asian people accessing early intervention services. Five databases were searched, and data were analysed using narrative synthesis from 15 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Only three articles used complementary theories that examine, spirituality, and explanatory models of illness to inform their research. Looking at participants' experiences, six narratives were themed as barriers to access (“declined treatment”, “systemic barriers”, “lack of understanding”, “intersectional stigma and shame”, “hardships”, “interpreters”) and six were themed as facilitators (“support systems”, “factors that influence help-seeking”, “therapies offered”, “what is required”, “no significance”, “what works well”). A recurring finding is the lack of understanding between service users and providers. Therefore, signposting needs improvement, pathways need to become clearer and culturally appropriate treatments need development based on the needs of the end user.

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“…The last two articles apply new narratives about AAPIs in measurement and clinical practice. Specifically, they grapple with the questions of how AAPIs might deepen the understanding of Asian American racial identity ideological values (AARIIV) through a new measurement (Yoo et al, 2021), and how Asian-centric clinical practice that focus on social justice might be conceptualized and practiced (Millner et al, 2021). Both articles envision AAPI psychology beyond the model minority myth and toward liberatory practice.…”

Section: Articles In This Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study moves beyond traditional framings of Asian Americans via the model minority myth into new ways of understanding Asian American experiences, including oppression and resilience, through values. In “Decolonizing Mental Health Practice: Reconstructing an Asian-Centric Framework through a Social Justice Lens” Millner et al (2021) deconstruct mental health practices and challenge colonial beliefs, address discrimination, and systemic oppression, and reflect on the erasure and appropriation of Asian values and traditional cultural practices. Through the use of clinical case studies of clients who identify as South Asian, they highlight mechanisms and processes where Asian-centric reconstruction of mental health practices can occur; such practices prioritize cultural values and religion and spirituality.…”

Section: Articles In This Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

Recentering AAPI narratives as social justice praxis: Reclaiming and honoring our experiences.

Kim¹,

Nakamura²,

Tran³

et al. 2021

Asian American Journal of Psychology

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The aim of this special issue of the Asian American Journal of Psychology is to create a space for focused dialog on social justice, by centering marginalized voices and amplifying counter-narratives that defy the stereotyped narratives about Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) people. The seven articles in this special issue explore the lived experiences of diverse AAPI people through the lens of larger social justice issues. They investigate issues such as ways of knowing, critical awareness and identity negotiations, and application of social justice in measurement and clinical practice. The articles focus on centering marginalized experiences by telling counter-stories to hegemonic narratives and amplifying those voices from within oftenoverlooked AAPI communities. We hope that this special issue aids in considering what it means to pursue social justice, not only for the welfare of AAPI people, but also to stand in solidarity with all those who experience marginalization. We also hope that it serves as a catalyst to consider how Asian American Psychology may continue to contribute toward building a more just and equitable profession and society. What is the public significance of this article?This special issue of the Asian American Journal of Psychology aims to create a space for focused dialogue on social justice, by centering marginalized voices and amplifying counter-narratives that defy the stereotyped narratives about AAPI people. The articles in this special issue investigate issues such as ways of knowing, critical awareness and identity negotiations, and application of social justice in measurement and clinical practice.

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Decolonizing mental health practice: Reconstructing an Asian-centric framework through a social justice lens.

Cited by 20 publications

References 68 publications

Increasing the representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour as students in psychology doctoral programmes.

Increasing the representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour as students in psychology doctoral programmes.

Cultural inequalities in access to Early Intervention for Psychosis services in the United Kingdom

Recentering AAPI narratives as social justice praxis: Reclaiming and honoring our experiences.

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