The Culture of Mental Illness in Adolescents with Urologic Problems

Abstract

The Culture of Mental Illness in Adolescents with Urologic Problems C ulture is an internal and external representation of a person's belief and value systems (Warren, 2008a), and it represents the person's essence. Adolescents are a unique cultural group and have several layers of culture that comprise their individual beliefs, values, norms, and health experiences. These layers may include but are not limited to developmental stage, chronological and emotional age, mental and physical health status, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, biologic sex, group and/or community attachments, and environmental settings. Mental wellness is the foundation for overall quality health for an adolescent (Lutz & Warren, 2007; Warren, 2009). Urologic problems may alter adolescent developmental and mental health processes, and possibly destabilize the quality of SERIES Objectives 1. Discuss the connection of mental wellness, illness, and cultural competence in adolescents 13 to 23 years of age experiencing urologic problems. 2. Describe symptoms of the most prevalent mental illnesses (such as depression, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, and schizophrenia) that may emerge during the adolescent years. 3. Provide a list of rating scales that can be used by nurses to screen for possible depressive, anxiety, and disordered thought symptoms.