Mental Health and Ethnicity /Race
Ethnomedicine refers to a wide range of practices, healthcare structures, therapeutically techniques and beliefs that comes from native cultural development. It is also known as the study of traditional medicine. Ethnomedicine is important because it explores the manner in which people cope with diseases and illnesses concerning their cultural perspective (Edberg, 2013). The Native American use indigenous plants for a wide variety of medicinal purposes. Indigenous plants act as central in improving dietary health for most of the current generation according to the Native American culture. For instance, Pre-Captain Cook Diet which is used to reduce fat and calories as well as restoring the role of indigenous foods. Additionally, most Hawaiian medicinal plants have additional curative properties alongside with clean air and water.
There are various reasons that hinder access to the appropriate mental health care for some cultures/ethnicities as it relates their values and practices. To start with is the cultural stigma whereby different people view mental health from a different perspective whereby some consider it as a weakness and something to hide. These make it hard for those struggling due to the inability to ask for help (Vis et al., 2018). Secondly, is the failure to understand the symptom. This causes difficulties in making some people fail to describe how they feel and talk about the physical symptoms leaving the emotional symptoms or both. Additionally, community support can hinder access to appropriate mental health care which leaves out some of the victims unsupported due to the already existing stigma. Finally, lack of resources since it is sometimes difficult or time-consuming to get treatment options that take into account specific cultures factors and needs. Lack of resources for various people hinders appropriate mental health care thus making most people suffer and end up not receiving the appropriate treatment.
The major barrier that the terrain of Alaska Natives experience is lack of proper means of transport to easily access the physician or a specialist. This makes it extremely difficult for patients living in remote areas to receive adequate healthcare. Therefore, the Alaska Native eventually develop physical and mental health issues that arise in the absence of easy access to preventive care (Wingfield, 2019). This has raised concern for the formation of an agency such as Indian Health Service which offers affordable and free healthcare services in the United States. The Native American has reportedly reported increased cases of mortality compared top average Americans due to medical conditions such as chronic liver diseases suicide and unintentional injuries. The reason why I choose the Native American race is because of dis[parity in behavior issues such as substance abuse and depression which is not addressed well in the Native community leading to an increased rate of mental health cases.
There are various policies that can assist public health professionals in alleviating these cultural barriers when it comes to mental health issues and assistance. The first element is by identifying the lack of balance in expression which leads to the disease. For instance, through the reflection of perception, that talks about painful feelings (Vis et al., 2018). Secondly, shame needs to be addressed as a means to alleviate the culture barrier concerning mental issues, for instance, the case of Asians. Additionally, there is a need to address the power of distance that may exist between the therapist thus having implications in relation to autonomy for instance in Asian countries. Finally, there is a need to discuss spirituality and religion from the point of view as well as the nature of collectivism and the impact of supportive factors to coping and resilience.
References
Edberg, M. (2013). Essentials of Health, Culture, and Diversity. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Vis, C., Mol, M., Kleiboer, A., Bührmann, L., Finch, T., Smit, J., & Riper, H. (2018). Improving the implementation of mental health for mood disorders in routine practice: a systematic review of barriers and facilitating factors. JMIR Mental Health, 5(1), 20.
Wingfield, A. H. (2019). Flatlining: Race, Work, and Health Care in the New Economy. Univ of California Press.