Cultural competence in clinical practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 2226-2226
Author(s):  
D. Bhugra

With increasing globalisation it is inevitable that along with goods, people will move too. Certain psychiatric disorders are more common among some groups of migrants. It is inevitable that there may be a degree of mismatch between the cultural values and beliefs of patients in comparison with their psychiatrists. Every individual has certain cultural values and it is vital that mental health professionals are not only aware of these values but are also conscious of their own values, prejudices and both strengths and cultural weaknesses. Cultural competence is at the core of good clinical practice. Skills and knowledge about other cultures can be learnt and clinicians also need to be aware of potential sources of conflict and sources from where they can gather information and then utilise it appropriately.

Ethical issues inherent in psychiatric research and clinical practice are invariably complex and multifaceted. Well-reasoned ethical decision-making is essential to deal effectively with patients and enhance their care. Drawing on the positive reception of Psychiatric Ethics since its first publication in 1981, this highly anticipated fifth edition offers psychiatrists and other mental health professionals a coherent guide to dealing with the diverse ethical issues that challenge them. This edition has been substantially updated to reflect the many changes that have occurred in the field during the past decade. Its 25 chapters are grouped in three sections, as follows: 1) clinical practice in child and adolescent psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry, psychogeriatrics, community psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry; 2) relevant basic sciences such as neuroethics and genetics; and 3) philosophical and social contexts including the history of ethics in psychiatry and the nature of professionalism. Principal aspects of clinical practice in general, such as confidentiality, boundary violations, and involuntary treatment, are covered comprehensively, as is a new chapter on diagnosis. Given the contributors’ expertise in their respective fields, Psychiatric Ethics will undoubtedly continue to serve as a significant resource for all mental health professionals, whatever the role they play in psychiatry. It will also benefit students of moral philosophy in their professional pursuits.


Author(s):  
S. Nassir Ghaemi

This chapter examines the basic pharmacology of psychotropic drugs. Besides knowing what drugs do to certain chemicals or proteins in the brain, it is important to know where drugs affect those chemicals or proteins. There is some basic knowledge about neuroanatomy that is relevant to the clinical practice of psychopharmacology. It is accepted that neurobiology is an important factor in the etiology and pathophysiology of major psychiatric conditions—like schizophrenia and manic-depressive disease, as well as in other psychiatric clinical pictures. The general summary usually provided is that neurobiology represents a diathesis to psychiatric conditions, which is supplemented by environmental stress to produce observed clinical pictures. This mixture of genetics and environment is oversimplified in the minds of most mental health professionals. In fact, the mix depends on the illness. The biochemical neuroanatomy of the monoamines, glutamate, and GABA in the brain are discussed. Pharmacokinetic aspects of psychopharmacology are reviewed, including hepatic metabolism, drug half-lives, dosing, and tolerance and sensitization.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianni Pirelli ◽  
Liza Gold

Purpose Firearm-involved violence and suicide in the USA, often collectively referred to as “gun violence,” has been labeled a public health problem and an epidemic, and even an endemic by some. Many lawmakers, community groups, mainstream media outlets and professional organizations regularly address gun-related issues and frequently associate firearm violence with mental health. As a result, these groups often set forth positions, engage in discussions and promote policies that are at least partially based on the widely held but incorrect assumption that medical and mental health professionals are either inherently equipped or professionally trained to intervene with their patients and reduce gun deaths. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Furthermore, notable proportions of medical and mental health professionals self-report a level of comfort engaging in firearm-specific interventions that is often disproportionate to their actual education and training in the area. This type of overconfidence bias has been referred to as the Lake Wobegon Effect, illusory superiority, the above average effect, the better-than average effect or the false uniqueness bias. While medical and mental health professionals need to serve on the front line of firearm-involved violence and suicide prevention initiatives, the vast majority have not actually received systematic, formal training on firearm-specific issues. Findings Therefore, many lack the professional and cultural competence to meet current and potential future in regard to addressing gun violence. In this paper, the authors discuss empirical studies that illustrate this reality and a novel model (i.e. the Know, Ask, Do framework) that medical and mental health professionals can use when firearm-related issues arise. In addition, the authors set forth considerations for clinicians to develop and maintain their professional and cultural competence related to firearms and firearm-related subcultures. Originality/value This paper provides empirical and conceptual support for medical and mental health programs to develop formal education and training related to guns, gun safety and gun culture. A framework is provided that can also assist medical and mental health professionals to develop and maintain their own professional and cultural competence.


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 560-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin G Leever

Terms such as ‘cultural competence’ and ‘transcultural nursing’ have comfortably taken their place in the lexicon of health care. Their high profile is a reflection of the diversity of western societies and health care’s commitment to provide care that is responsive to the values and beliefs of all who require treatment. However, the relationship between cultural competence and familiar ethical concepts such as patient autonomy has been an uneasy one. This article explores the moral foundations of cultural competence, ultimately locating them in patient autonomy and patient good. The discussion of patient good raises questions about the moral relevance of a value’s rootedness in a particular culture. I argue that the moral justification for honoring cultural values has more to do with the fact that patients are strongly committed to them than it does with their cultural rootedness. Finally, I suggest an organizational approach to cultural competence that emphasizes overall organizational preparedness.


Author(s):  
Dinesh Bhugra ◽  
Antonio Ventriglio ◽  
Kamaldeep S. Bhui

Cultures are an integral part of our being. We are born in cultures, which mould our behaviours, attitudes, and cognitions. Culture is a system of meanings and knowledge, belief systems, and morals as well as laws. Culture is acquired, and people change in response to culture and, in return, individuals change culture. Culture informs our world view and offers symbols with specific meanings, not only for individuals in that particular culture but also for others looking in. Culture needs to be differentiated from race and ethnicity. Furthermore, for migrants there are stages in the process of migration that affect their processes of acculturation, which can result in different types of adjustment in the new country, including assimilation, biculturalism, and deculturation. The response of the new country is also important in welcoming or rejecting migrants whatever their reason for migration. Cultural competence is a part of good clinical practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 410-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Verschuere ◽  
Laura te Kaat

What are the core features of psychopathy? Previous prototypicality analyses showed that many features were considered as highly prototypical. The authors extend this work by using forced ranking to grasp which features are most important. Forensic mental health professionals ranked the 20 Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) items on their importance to psychopathy. Affective-interpersonal features were judged to be of greater importance than behavioral–lifestyle features. The most important items were callous/lack of empathy, conning/manipulative, and lack of remorse or guilt, which were deemed more important than nearly all other PCL-R features. The prototypicality ranking of the 20 PCL-R items by the forensic mental health professionals showed strong overlap (r = .64 to .86) with psychometric indices of item importance (network centrality, item-total correlation, and item response theory discrimination parameter). Taken together, these findings clarify the relative importance of PCL-R features to psychopathy.


2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Epstein ◽  
Amanda Bequette

Smart phone usage has greatly increased in recent years. Not only has the computing power of these mobile devices dramatically improved but so has the variety of functions they can accomplish—an amazing array of tasks that once would have been considered remarkable. Historically, mental health professionals have been quick to embrace smart phone technology and there are now literally hundreds of applications for practitioners and clients alike. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using smart phone technology in clinical practice and considers the implications for the future of clinical practice.


Author(s):  
A. Steven Frankel

Disruptions in clinical practice that are not adequately planned for can have a significant negative impact on clients, family members, and colleagues. This chapter addresses the problem of unanticipated disruptions in clinical practice due to death, disability, and illness. Challenges associated with each of these situations are illustrated. Proactive and thoughtful ways of preparing for them are presented. Topics include the professional will (with descriptions of needed elements), approaches involving groups of cooperative colleagues, and a “quasi-insurance model” that was developed because many mental health professionals have not embraced the first two approaches. Recommendations for addressing these situations with our clients’ best interests in mind are presented.


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