Taking a Stand: The Effects of Confrontation on Minority Group Members' Mental Health

Author(s):  
Christina N. Chin ◽  
Alexander Czopp ◽  
Joseph Hovey
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-418
Author(s):  
Kate Thompson ◽  
Pippa Brown ◽  
Stephanie Vieira

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an intervention with a group of homeless men from the Horn of Africa, service users of the Horn of Africa Health and Wellbeing Project in London. The group was conceived by the second author who noted the presence of significant psychosocial issues for her clients, but equally their reluctance to access mainstream mental health or social care services. Design/methodology/approach Designing the group and introducing it to the men involved threw up some challenges which are explored, and the impact of the group on participants is evaluated. Findings Overall both the participants and the facilitators evaluated the group positively and it appeared to have led to lasting change for some of the group members, and this is described. The authors argue that this sort of group may be a more acceptable way to work on psychosocial issues than something more directly focused on mental health intervention. The group protocol is outlined along with suggestions for future work in this area. Originality/value This intervention represents a creative alternative to more mainstream psychological interventions for homeless or exiled men.


2021 ◽  
pp. 136346152110629
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Gómez

Sexual trauma is associated with PTSD, with perpetrators putting women and girls more at risk than men and boys. Young adulthood is a time where risk of victimization and susceptibility to mental health problems increase. Certain contributors of costly trauma outcomes may be affected by the larger context of societal inequality. Cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT) highlights cultural betrayal in within-group trauma in minoritized populations as a dimension of harm that affects outcomes. In CBTT, within-group trauma violates the (intra)cultural trust—solidarity, love, loyalty, connection, responsibility—that is developed between group members to buffer against societal inequality. This violation, termed a cultural betrayal, can contribute to poorer mental health. The purpose of the current study is to address a gap in the CBTT literature by examining the role of (intra)cultural trust on the association between cultural betrayal sexual trauma and symptoms of PTSD among diverse minoritized youth transitioning to adulthood. Participants ( N = 173) were diverse minoritized college students, who completed a 30-min online questionnaire at a location of their own choosing. Participants received course credit and could decline to answer any question without penalty. The results reveal that the interaction between cultural betrayal sexual trauma and (intra)cultural trust predicted clinically significant symptoms of PTSD. These findings have implications for increased cultural and contextual specificity in trauma research in minoritized populations, which can aid in the development and implementation of culturally competent interventions for diverse minoritized youth survivors of sexual trauma.


2019 ◽  
pp. 136346151989236
Author(s):  
Jason E. Hickey ◽  
Steven Pryjmachuk ◽  
Heather Waterman

While recovery has become a popular framework for mental health services, there is limited understanding of its applicability outside of Western countries. In fact, recent studies in non-Anglophone populations suggest that recovery is contextually dependent and that the implementation of mainstream recovery models risks imposing inappropriate values. We used classic grounded theory to explore the main concerns of mental health service users in a Middle Eastern context and the strategies they use to resolve those concerns. The theory of ‘reciprocity membership’, a process involving ongoing mutual exchange with a group or community, was developed. Reciprocity membership becomes balanced when an individual is satisfied with their ‘contribution to’ the group, the ‘acknowledgement from’ other group members, the ‘expectations of’ the group, and their ‘alignment with’ the values of the group. Balance among these conditions is appraised by a sub-process called ‘valuing’, and developed or maintained by two further sub-processes called ‘positioning’ and ‘managing relationships’. Balanced reciprocity membership seems to be associated with recovery. This study is the first in-depth exploration of people's experience of mental illness in a Middle Eastern context; findings provide evidence for a novel potential pathway towards recovery.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn R. Carter ◽  
Destiny Peery ◽  
Jennifer A. Richeson ◽  
Mary C. Murphy

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 710-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry M. Karaffa ◽  
Jaimie Page ◽  
Julie M. Koch

Those who have been wrongfully imprisoned face a variety of challenges upon reentering the community, and monetary compensation may be helpful in rebuilding one’s life following a period of incarceration. However, very little is known about factors that may impact public attitudes regarding compensation policy. Using a sample of 396 university students, we investigated the role of exonerees’ race/ethnicity and prior conviction history, as well as participants’ socially dominant and right-wing authoritarian attitudes in explaining beliefs about financial compensation. Results suggest that males, minority group members, and older participants tended to rate hypothetical exonerees as more deserving of financial compensation. Perceptions of deservingness for compensation did not differ according to the exonerees’ race/ethnicity, but exonerees who had no prior convictions were perceived as more deserving compared with those with prior misdemeanor or felony drug convictions. Participants’ right-wing authoritarianism scores were negatively associated with deservingness scores, whereas social dominance orientation scores were not significantly related to deservingness, after controlling for participant demographics and exoneree factors.


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