Tag Archives: diversity

“Therapy” and other Dirty Words: Addressing Cultural Stigma of Mental Illness in Diverse Communities

This blog post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity. This series will discuss current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Lincoln Hill.

“Therapy” and other Dirty Words: Addressing Cultural Stigma of Mental Illness in Diverse Communities

By Mary Odafe

Therapy (noun; /ˈTHerəpē/) – a luxury service associated with the White middle-to-upper class. Based on this conceptualization of therapy, “in-group” members (i.e., fellow members of one’s own ethnocultural community) who engage in formal therapy are, by default, guilty of making the decision to forego traditional methods of healing, including (but not limited to): a) seeking wisdom from a community leader or elder, b) engaging in fervent prayer, “letting go, letting God,” or seeking counsel from a church leader, c) “keeping it in the family” or speaking with a trusted friend, or d) engaging in traditional or indigenous medicinal/healing practices. An in-group member who attends therapy might experience real or perceived stigma from their fellow in-group members, and the associated fear of being labeled as one of the following:

  • Crazy (adjective; /ˈkrāzē/) – A label frequently afforded to anyone with history of hospitalization or observable psychiatric symptoms. This term subsumes an array of symptoms associated with various clinical disorders including hallucinations, panic  symptoms, obsessions and compulsions, delusions, cognitive distortions, etc.
  • Bipolar (adjective; /bīˈpōlər/) and/or Schizophrenic (adjective; /ˌskit-sə-ˈfre-nik/) – Often used synonymously with ‘Crazy,’ a label afforded to anyone who exhibits odd or abnormal behavior, paranoia, or distinct changes in mood or personality. This label is not exclusively used among lay members of society, but is also frequently designated by clinicians, who have historically overutilized these diagnoses among certain ethnic minority groups.
  • Depressed (adjective; /dəˈprest/) – A general succumbing to life’s stressors that signifies weakness or lack of faith, and manifests as sadness, laziness, irritability, and withdrawal from friends and family. Solution? ‘snap out of it’ or ‘pray it away.’
  • Suicidal (adjective; /ˌso͞oəˈsīdl/) – Descriptive of when one fully succumbs to life stressors and reaches a state of indifference about life. Synonymous with ‘giving up,’ or in some instances, ‘Crazy,’ this label is used to describe individuals who have “failed” to cope with life and are now making the decision to sin against God and betray their friends and family by taking their own life.

While these pseudo-definitions and colloquialisms are jarring and overtly offensive, this is the painful reality of many individuals of diverse ethnic background whose in-group members (e.g., family, friends, ethnocultural community) subscribe to antiquated beliefs about mental illness. When facing stigma from one’s own community, people may be less likely to seek professional help that could prove beneficial when administered by a culturally-sensitive clinician. Internalized stigma may also serve to magnify the intensity of one’s psychological distress by adding significant feelings of shame and embarrassment. Unfortunately, subscribing to or acting in accordance with stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness only serves to perpetuate the stigma and limits opportunities to evolve. In cases when individuals do not seek necessary help due to perceived stigma, the consequences may even be deadly.

Ethnic minority psychologists are in a unique position to bring about meaningful change in our various cultural communities. As culturally-sensitive advocates, we can all encourage change in the following ways:

  • It is first necessary to acknowledge the gravity of historical experiences with clinical research and services for marginalized ethnic groups (e.g., African Americans who were the unwitting subjects of inhumane research during the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment from 1932-1972). At present, the challenge of effectively working with ethnic minority clients persists, as the large majority of evidence-based treatments were developed for use (and validated) with White middle-class Americans, failing to reflect growing trends of cultural diversity in the U.S. and Canada. In some cases, a healthy cultural paranoia in ethnic minority clients may be a reasonable response to unfamiliar techniques or practices. Aim for a more compassionate approach by working with thoughts of cultural mistrust, rather than combatting them.
  • Incorporate traditional cultural or faith-based practices, rather than dismissing them as harmful or ineffective. In some instances, these cultural practices can even be used as a gateway to introducing mainstream psychology paradigms. For example, after observing that spirituality was the main source of emotional coping for my older African American Veteran clients, we utilized Biblical scriptures as a means to spark therapeutic group discussions about acceptance and change.
  • Challenge cultural stigma by providing psychoeducation through simple conversation (at community forums, seminars, health fairs, church festivals, or just one-on-one with a friend or family member). Of particular importance is to ask questions just as often, if not more often, as you provide answers or information.
  • Recognize that the underlying emotion that often motivates stigma is fear: fear of the unknown, fear of exploitation, fear of judgement from one’s community, or an internalized fear of being “broken.” Consistent with current trends in psychotherapy, fear is combatted through education and exposure. In addition to those listed previously, consider ways to provide education and also increase exposure to the idea of mental health – through conversation, modeling, social media, research, teaching, and clinical practice.

I encourage you to reflect and develop your own ideas for challenging the prevalence of stigma in diverse cultural communities. By changing the conversation surrounding mental illness, we work to combat stigma which could ultimately change a life, or save one.

Additional Resources:

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CARED Perspectives – Immigration at the Border: Separation of Children from Parents

This blog post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Posts in this series will discuss current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Lincoln Hill. 

Immigration at the Border: Separation of Children from Parents

By Jhodi-Ann Bowie

black-and-white-blur-child-415229In recent weeks, the global community has been flooded with images and information related to the U.S. immigration policy that requires the separation of children from their parents/caregivers at the border. This issue has undoubtedly impacted not only those directly affected, but millions of others who are disheartened by these events. As racial/ethnic minority graduate students, we are also not immune to the personal and professional effects of these events. Many of us have experienced a variety of emotions associated with the stories of children being separated from their caregivers. These experiences most certainly impact our ability to go about our daily lives, but they can also impact our professional work.

Many of us conduct research on the effects of immigration on psychological well-being. Immigrants not only experience distress related to the hardship of being displaced from their homes, but they also experience a variety of challenges in their quest for asylum, and discrimination on many fronts while living in the US. These, and other challenges, have the potential to cause lasting mental health concerns. We can therefore anticipate that the impact of separating family members from one another is even more detrimental, particularly putting children at risk for psychological trauma.

Further, many of us work directly with these clients in our clinical practice settings. This and other issues related to social injustice particularly hit home and have a significant impact on psychology trainees, since we are often privy to our clients stories of their hardships in these experiences. Further, although many clients may not be directly impacted by these events, they may experience feelings of outrage and distress. Additionally, some of us may even identify as first, second, or third generation immigrants to the US and have personal and direct experiences with this issue.

The importance of these events inevitably blur the lines of personal and professional and highlight important considerations and questions for graduate trainees: How do I manage my feelings about current distressing events? Do I share these feelings in the clinical/work and academic space? Do I share my personal beliefs and feelings with clients? How can I advocate for these individuals from a professional standpoint?

These questions may be difficult for us to answer on our own. The role of supervisors, advisors, and professors therefore becomes paramount. Unfortunately, very few academic programs offer a safe platform for students to share their feelings and address the aforementioned questions. Additionally, students may be hesitant to request such a space for fear of seeming too politically driven/biased or unprofessional. But how can we be expected to keep such issues such completely compartmentalized from who we are and what we stand for? This plight remains ongoing since in this new age of social political polarization and social injustice, psychology professionals and graduate students must learn to navigate our own boundaries and responsibilities to the field.

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APAGS-CARED aims to provide students with a variety of platforms to discuss and benefit from resources related to this and other social justice issues. These resources include peer support groups, webinars for international students, twitter chats, disseminating information to academic programs, and other initiatives.

For more information on APAGS-CARED, as well as APA’s stance and actions related to the immigration policy, please visit the following resources:

We want to hear what you think! Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

Other posts in the CARED PERSPECTIVES series:

 

 

CARED Perspectives – Racism on our College Campuses: What can we do about it?

This blog post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Posts in this series will discuss current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Lincoln Hill.

Racism on our College Campuses: What can we do about it?

By Ryan C. Warner

Unfortunately, racial incidents often occur  frequently in today’s higher education institutions. Just recently in April 2018, a series of racial incidents transpired on the campus of DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. A racist threat was found in a restroom on campus. A student dressed in blackface and wearing an offensive sign was seen at a local bar, and the word “nigger” was spelled out in stones at the DePauw Nature Park. During the same month, a Greek fraternity at Syracuse University in New York posted a six-minute video online showing a member saying an oath that included the statement: “I solemnly swear to always have hatred in my heart for Niggers, Spics, and most importantly the (expletive) Kykes.”

Similar to the rest of society, colleges and universities are not immune to racial discrimination. With “Blackface” party incidents and “noose” hangings making news at numerous universities all over the country, racially underrepresented students face challenges beyond the academic scope of tests, papers, and projects.

As a current graduate student of color who has attended various predominantly white universities, I can attest to the fact that racial discrimination can be displayed covertly (e.g., microaggressions) or overtly. These incidences have a profound impact of an individual’s well-being, and can impact their retention and life satisfaction. But the main question is, “what can we do about it?”

At the individual level, we need to all stand up to racial injustice when it occurs. Silence is compliance and only encourages and enhances racial injustice in the world. Individuals of all backgrounds and skin colors should point out bigotry when they see it, which will ultimately create social awareness and bring light to these issues.

At the institutional level, university leaders should make systemic changes to enhance inclusivity for students of color. One example may include requiring that all students, faculty, and staff attend diversity training focusing on racial equality and inclusion. Additionally, ensuring that campuses have a bias incident report system in place can offer a resource for students to document their experiences of racial microaggressions, which may assist with providing evidence that these incidences do in fact exist. This documentation may be useful with further presenting evidence for the need of diversity resources and inclusivity programming.

It is also important that resources be available at a professional organization level. For instance, the American Psychological Association (APA) and other organizations have various divisions/resources that can assist with supporting graduate students (e.g., Committee for the Advancement of Racial & Ethnic Diversity, Division 45, AAPA, SIP, AMENA-Psy, ABPsi, NLPA, etc.). Conducting webinars and disseminating information to academic programs may assist with providing students helpful coping strategies to use when experiencing racial stress in their programs.

For additional resources please visit:

We want to hear what you think! Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

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CARED Perspectives: Ensuring That All Children Have a Seat at the Table When Discussing Gun Reform

This blog post is the first in the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity. This series will discuss current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Lincoln Hill.

Ensuring that All Children Have a Seat at the Table When Discussing Gun Reform

By Lincoln Hill

In response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting on February 14th, 2018 where 17 people were killed and many more were  injured, student survivors organized and are continuing to develop youth-led protests to advocate for comprehensive legislation towards gun reform. Despite the acuity of the recent traumatic events that impacted their whole community, these students participated in a nationally televised townhall with elected officials just one week after the shooting, publicly challenging these officials to pass gun reform legislation; organized a march with approximately 832 events worldwide to keep children safer in schools just five weeks later; and structured a national school walkout day inviting students across the world to participate.

Many, myself included, have been astonished by what these students have accomplished in such a short amount of time (and with minimal adult intervention) . As a graduate assistant with Loyola University Chicago’s Center for the Human Rights of Children, I view the student led protests as a prime example of tenets from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in action, particularly the child’s right to participate in decision making processes that directly affect them. Additionally,  as a Black counseling psychologist-in-training with a focus on the mental health of racial/ethnic minority students, I am primarily struck by the public’s receptiveness to these youth-led protests compared to more critical media coverage of similar youth-led initiatives advocating for the safety of Black youth such as Black Lives Matter and The Dream Defenders. What do these response variations mean from a social justice perspective, particularly when efforts to advocate on behalf of Black youth who are disproportionately impacted by gun violence aren’t viewed as favorably by the public?

In the US, Black children and adolescents are excessively impacted by gun violence and are four times more likely to die by guns when compared to their White counterparts. Perhaps this stark reality contributes to the extremely high rate of suicide among Black children ages 5-11 years old — a rate that has nearly doubled in the past two decades, while that of White children has steadily decreased.  For children and adolescents living in violent neighborhoods and communities, witnessing shootings can lead to a plethora of psychosocial hardships including posttraumatic stress that can impact them into adulthood.

As psychologists-in-training, we have a duty to respond and support all children impacted by gun violence including those commonly left out of discourses pertaining to gun reform. While we take steps as a field advocating for legislative changes protecting the rights of children, we must challenge ourselves to provide platforms that amplify all children’s voices.

We want to hear what you think! Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

International Students and the Internship Process

International_Flags_GlobePsychology graduate students face unique struggles compared to graduate students in other fields, as we are expected to be self-reflective, engage in self-care, and also examine our ability to work with others while making sure that we dedicate most of our time to work. The balance often becomes a very tricky process to negotiate. International students in graduate psychology programs experience additional barriers in comparison to their domestic counterparts, as they have to navigate local and national policies, immigration requirements, paperwork, and experiences of discrimination, on top of academic requirements. Further, it is not unusual for international students to feel isolated, especially in smaller programs where the international student community is scarce. In addition to cultural adjustment and a possible language barrier, international students also have to plan a timeline carefully to ensure they are up to date on immigration documentation. One of the most stressful experiences for international students in clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs is applying for the clinical internship. International students face unique challenges in this process, including a reduced number of sites that accept individuals without US citizenship or permanent residency.

The following video focuses specifically on the internship application process for international students, and provides insights and advice from international students who have successfully navigated this process. APAGS and APAGS-CARED have developed this short video to help international students feel more comfortable applying to their doctoral internship.

Some international students that have been through this process have provided the following advice:

• Ensure that there is enough time to plan for documentation of legal status
• Be resilient
• Be persistent
• Find mentorship from other international students
• Develop a close relationship with DCTs (Directors of Clinical Training)

Please check out the video below of interviews with international students who successfully matched on internship. The video was developed through a collaboration of APAGS and APAGS-CARED, and was edited by Nathanael Castro.