Culture and Mental Health: Sociocultural Influences, Theory, and Practice

by Sussie Eshun (Editor), Regan A. R. Gurung (Editor)

Overview

Culture and Mental Health takes a critical look at the research pertaining to common psychological disorders, examining how mental health can be studied from and vary according to different cultural perspectives.

• Introduces students to the main topics and issues in the area of mental health using culture as the focus
• Emphasizes issues that pertain to conceptualization, perception, health-seeking behaviors, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment in the context of cultural variations
• Reviews and actively encourages the reader to consider issues related to reliability, validity and standardization of commonly used psychological assessment instruments among different cultural groups
• Highlights the widely used DSM-IV-TR categorization of culture-bound syndromes

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405169820
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/27/2009
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Sussie Eshun is a licensed psychologist and Professor of Psychology at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. In addition to clinical practice, she has several publications on the role of culture in suicide, depression, and stress. She has developed and taught several courses on culture, adjustment, and human development, and is a strong advocate for including empirical research on cultural diversity in the curriculum.

Regan A. R. Gurung is Chair of the Human Development Department and Professor of Human Development and Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. He is also co-Director of the University of Wisconsin Green Bay Teaching Scholars Program and is winner of the Founder's Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Founder's Award for Excellence in Scholarship. He is also the author of Health Psychology: A Cultural Approach (2nd edition) and co-editor of Getting Culture: Incorporating Diversity across the Curriculum (2009).

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Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables.

Notes on Editors and Contributors.

Foreword.

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

Part I. General Issues in Culture and Mental Health .

1. Introduction to Culture and Psychopathology: Sussie Eshun (East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania) and Regan A. R. Gurung (University of Wisconsin, Green Bay).

2. Culture and Mental Health Assessment: Bonnie A. Green (East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania).

3. Stress and Mental Health: Regan A. R. Gurung (University of Wisconsin, Green Bay) and Angela Roethel-Wendorf (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee).

4. Managing Job Stress: Cross-Cultural Variations in Adjustment: Joseph P. Eshun, Jr. (East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania) and Kevin J. Kelley (Pennsylvania State University, Lehigh Valley).

5. Chronic Pain: Cultural Sensitivity to Pain: Jyh-Hann Chang (East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania).

6. Placing the Soul Back into Psychology: Religion in the Psychotherapy Process: Paul E. Priester (North Park University), Shiva Khalili (Tehran University), and Jose E. Luvathingal (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee).

7. Psychotherapy in a Culturally Diverse World: Laura R. Johnson (University of Mississippi), Gilberte Bastien (University of Mississippi), and Michael J. Hirschel (University of Mississippi).

8. International Perspectives on Culture and Mental Health: P. S. D. V. Prasadarao (University of Waikato, Hamilton, NZ)
Part II. Cross-Cultural Issues in Specific Psychological Disorders.

9. Culture and Mood Disorders: Sussie Eshun (East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania) and Toy Caldwell-Colbert (formerly Central State University).

10. Culture and Anxiety Disorders: Simon A. Rego (Albert Einstein College of Medicine).

11. Cultural Factors in Traumatic Stress: Peter D. Yeomans (San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center) and Evan M. Forman (Drexel University).

12. Culture and Psychotic Disorders: Kristin M. Vespia (University of Wisconsin, Green Bay).

13. Culture and Eating Disorders: Megan A. Markey Hood (Saint Louis University), Jillon S. Vander Wal (Saint Louis University), and Judith L. Gibbons (Saint Louis University).

14. Culture and Suicide: David Lester (The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, NJ).

Author Index.

Subject Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Eshun and Gurung’s book represents the latest and best effort to compile the information about culture and mental health available in the field today. They have assembled some of the best scholars in the field to bring to bear their expertise in each of their respective areas. Readers will be enlightened with the exceptional information described in each of the chapters. The text is relevant, well written, and engaging, and Eshun and Gurung are to be commended for an exceptional effort that will be a standard in the field.” –David Matsumoto, San Francisco State University

“Specifically focusing on the work of counselors and clinicians, and especially oriented to students and trainees aspiring to careers in the helping professions, this volume provides a rich introduction to the multitude of ways in which culture shapes everyday life, its various challenges, and their solutions. Far from an abstract and empty notion, Eshun and Gurung’s collection adds flesh, bones, and blood to the notion of ‘culture’ and offers persuasive illustrations of what is meant by the term ‘cultural competence.’”–Larry Davidson, Yale University

“Eshun, Gurung, and their contributing scholars provide a broad overview of culture and mental health. The book is well worth considering for graduate courses in counseling, psychology, and related fields.”–Steven Lopez, University of Southern California

“Culture and Mental Health comes to grips with the complexities of the field without overwhelming or intimidating its readers. Thoroughly documented and up to date, the book is relevant for clinicians and researchers at all levels of training and experience.”–Juris G. Draguns, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University

Editorial Reviews

"Overall, this book is well worth taking out from a local library." (Mental Health Practice, 1 November 2011)

"Culture and Mental Health is an extremely thought-provoking collection of commentaries containing a wealth of information within which all readers are bound to find something both new and informative to them in their practice....." (CNWL NHS Foundation Trust, November 2010)"This title is useful both in the library and in the classroom." (CHOICE, September 2009) 

From the Publisher