Race, culture, and ethnicity are critical components of the human experience, yet they are often treated as nuisance variables or as post hoc explanations for poorly predicted results. Mandates to ...pay attention to ethnocultural diversity in research have largely been ignored. Here, we affirm some basic principles of multicultural psychology in conceptually grounded research. We first identify the importance of clear and conceptually guided ethnocultural research, and describe multiple perspectives in the field. The first perspective, a generalizability approach, seeks to find similarities and universalities across diverse groups. The second perspective, a group differences approach, attempts to determine the generalizability and limits to generalizability across different groups that are assumed to represent different cultures. The third perspective, multicultural psychology, involves specifying and measuring the mechanisms of cultural influences on behavior in ethnocultural groups underrepresented in research. In contrast to conventional approaches to culture that apply existing models to other groups, we propose an "inside-out" model that prizes the perspectives of those in ethnocultural communities that are underrepresented in research and places a secondary emphasis on generalizability. We follow with examples and new directions for multicultural psychology research. This approach has the potential to enhance researchers' ability to answer conceptually derived research questions and in combination with the other approaches promises to enhance the advancement of psychological science generally.
Abstract Forehand and Kotchick (1996) issued a wake-up call to the field to develop culturally responsive interventions. Since that time, 11 meta-analyses on culturally adapted interventions have ...been conducted. To reconcile the differences of the previous meta- analyses, a new meta-analysis was conducted that included 13,998 participants, 95% of whom were non–European American, in 78 studies evaluating culturally adapted interventions with psychopathology outcomes. Using a random effects multilevel regression model, the overall effect size ( g = 0.67, p < .001) favored the effectiveness of culturally adapted interventions over other conditions (no intervention, other interventions). There was a medium effect size favoring the effectiveness of culturally adapted interventions over unadapted versions of the same intervention ( g = .52). The overall effect size was moderated by whether the study involved treatment ( g = .76) vs. prevention ( g = .25, p = .03) and whether the study involved specific measures of mood or anxiety symptoms ( g = .76) vs. general measures of psychopathology ( g = .48, p = .02). Culturally adapted interventions had 4.68 times greater odds than other conditions to produce remission from psychopathology ( p < .001) in 16 studies that reported remission. There were greater effects in no intervention control designs (marginal odds ratio = 9.80) than in manualized intervention (marginal odds ratio = 3.47, p = .03) or another active, nonmanualized intervention (marginal odds ratio = 3.38, p = .04) comparison designs in remission studies. Research has yet to adequately investigate whether culturally adapted or unadapted interventions impact culture-specific psychopathology. These findings indicate a continuing need for rigor in the conceptualization and measurement of culture- specific psychopathology and in developing culturally responsive interventions.
Cultural competency practices have been widely adopted in the mental health field because of the disparities in the quality of services delivered to ethnic minority groups. In this review, we examine ...the meaning of cultural competency, positions that have been taken in favor of and against it, and the guidelines for its practice in the mental health field. Empirical research that tests the benefits of cultural competency is discussed.
In 1992, the United States government expanded a 1978 decision to observe Asian Pacific American Heritage Week to a month-long recognition of the contributions of Asian Americans to the country's ...history and ongoing cultural milieu. Since 2000, the Asian population in the United States has grown by 72%-the fastest rate of any racial/ethnic group in the country. Today, the Census reports that Asians comprise 22 million United States residents. Despite this unprecedented growth, Asian Americans remain largely invisible in the national dialogue and in scientific research. This special issue features theoretical, empirical, and policy articles that highlight Asian Americans in psychology. Asian Americans remain marginalized and invisible in scientific endeavors for several reasons. For example, consolidating many ethnic groups under an "Asian American" pan-ethnic umbrella masks meaningful cultural, linguistic, ethnic, migration, gender, sexual/gender identity/expression, and socioeconomic differences. These intersectional identities result in experiences that are multiply marginalized, contributing to invisibility. The model minority stereotype highlights high-achieving and successful individuals, rendering the segment of the Asian American population that is struggling irrelevant and unworthy of attention. This special issue directly interrogates sources of invisibility to synthesize theory, research, and policy focused on Asian Americans. The articles in this special issue focus on the intersectional spaces that Asian Americans occupy, unpacking the diversity behind the "Asian American" pan-ethnic label, experiences of identity and discrimination across a range of Asian American groups, and areas of theory/research/policy where Asian American experiences have been overlooked.
Public Significance StatementThis article introduces and provides the background for the first-ever special issue of the American Psychologist to focus on AAPI populations. The goal of this special issue is to highlight challenges in AAPI psychology including invisibility and the model minority stereotype, and to chart a new course for redressing these challenges.
Ethnic groups differ in rates of suicidal behaviors among youths, the context within which suicidal behavior occurs (e.g., different precipitants, vulnerability and protective factors, and reactions ...to suicidal behaviors), and patterns of help-seeking. In this article, the authors discuss the cultural context of suicidal behavior among African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Latino adolescents, and the implications of these contexts for suicide prevention and treatment. Several cross-cutting issues are discussed, including acculturative stress and protective factors within cultures; the roles of religion and spirituality and the family in culturally sensitive interventions; different manifestations and interpretations of distress in different cultures; and the impact of stigma and cultural distrust on help-seeking. The needs for culturally sensitive and community-based interventions are discussed, along with future opportunities for research in intervention development and evaluation.
COVID-19 presents significant social, economic, and medical challenges. Because COVID-19 has already begun to precipitate huge increases in mental health problems, clinical psychological science must ...assert a leadership role in guiding a national response to this secondary crisis. In this article, COVID-19 is conceptualized as a unique, compounding, multidimensional stressor that will create a vast need for intervention and necessitate new paradigms for mental health service delivery and training. Urgent challenge areas across developmental periods are discussed, followed by a review of psychological symptoms that likely will increase in prevalence and require innovative solutions in both science and practice. Implications for new research directions, clinical approaches, and policy issues are discussed to highlight the opportunities for clinical psychological science to emerge as an updated, contemporary field capable of addressing the burden of mental illness and distress in the wake of COVID-19 and beyond.
Public Significance Statement
Clinical psychological science must lead a national response to address mental health issues following COVID-19. This article highlights urgent challenges to confront, and timely opportunities to contemporize a field to better address mental health issues now and long after. The article concludes by discussing implications for new research directions, clinical approaches, and policy issues.
A task force of experts was convened by the American Psychological Association (APA) to update the knowledge and policy about the impact of violent video game use on potential adverse outcomes. This ...APA Task Force on Media Violence examined the existing literature, including the meta-analyses in the field, since the last APA report on media violence in 2005. Because the most recent meta-analyses were published in 2010 and reflected work through 2009, the task force conducted a search of the published studies from 2009-2013. These recently published articles were scored and assessed by a systematic evidentiary review, followed by a meta-analysis of the high utility studies, as documented in the evidentiary review. Consistent with the literature that we reviewed, we found that violent video game exposure was associated with: an increased composite aggression score; increased aggressive behavior; increased aggressive cognitions; increased aggressive affect, increased desensitization, and decreased empathy; and increased physiological arousal. The size of the effects was similar to that in prior meta-analyses, suggesting a stable result. Our task force concluded that violent video game use is a risk factor for adverse outcomes, but found insufficient studies to examine any potential link between violent video game use and delinquency or criminal behavior. Our technical report is the basis of this article.
One of the most persistent health disparities is the underutilization of mental health services by people of color. Neither evidence-based treatments (universal focus) nor culturally adapted ...treatments (group focus) have reduced these disparities. We propose the personal relevance of psychotherapy (PROP) model, which integrates universal, group, and individual dimensions to determine the personal relevance of interventions. A cultural example of personal relevance among people of East Asian ancestry involves "face" (i.e., one's prestige and position in society), which may moderate treatment outcomes. Pragmatic intervention approaches focused on helping individuals cope with specific external problems, compared to managing a "personal" disease, can effectively "restore" face. Thus, social problem-solving interventions may be more personally relevant to many people of East Asian ancestry than are approaches that are internally focused. In addition, we posit that social neuroscience can offer unique opportunities above and beyond self-report measures when assessing the impact of PROP and the personal relevance of interventions for diverse populations. Our preliminary evidence upon testing this hypothesis indicated that among Asian Americans, exposure to problem-solving therapy content elicited significantly greater neural activity in brain areas associated with personal relevance compared to exposure to cognitive-behavioral therapy content. Identifying personally relevant interventions has the potential to reduce mental health disparities by increasing engagement with mental health services for diverse groups. The increased client engagement produced by personally relevant interventions also has the potential to make mental health services more effective for diverse groups.
Public Significance Statement
Mental health services have not effectively addressed the needs of people of color. This may be because existing mental health services are not personally relevant. Cultural adaptations and social neuroscience may help improve the personal relevance of mental health services to people of color.
Richard M. Suinn (1933-2024) Hall, Gordon C. Nagayama; Leong, Frederick T. L.; Sue, Stanley
The American psychologist,
05/2024, Letnik:
79, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Richard M. Suinn, an eminent psychologist known for his work in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), sports psychology, ethnic minority issues, and professional association leadership, passed away on ...January 5, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colorado, at the age of 90 years. Suinn was born on May 8, 1933, in Hawai'i. Suinn was an expert in anxiety management and developed the widely used Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. He was the first psychologist appointed team psychologist to a U.S. Olympic team, applying his CBT expertise to five Olympic teams. Suinn developed the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale, the most widely used measure of Asian American acculturation. He served as a president of the American Psychological Association (APA) where he opened the door for APA presidents of color, and the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) and a member of the Board of Directors of APA, the American Psychological Foundation, American Board of Professional Psychology, Association for the Advancement of Psychology, ABCT, and the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Race-based discrimination is associated with negative mental health outcomes for Chinese international students. Host and ethnic social connectedness have been demonstrated to buffer the effects of ...discrimination on mental health. However, most studies thus far have utilized cross-sectional designs. The current study was a longitudinal investigation of the effects of race- and language-based discrimination on anxiety and depression symptoms among 210 Chinese international students studying in the U.S. Participants were assessed during their first academic term at a U.S. university (T1) and 3 months later during their second term (T2). Measures included the Brief Perceived Discrimination Scale, the Perceived Language Discrimination Scale, the Social Connectedness Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Results from a cross-lag model showed that T1 perceived discrimination was significantly predictive of T2 negative mental health symptoms, whereas T1 mental health symptoms did not predict T2 perceived discrimination. Subsequent moderation models revealed that this association between discrimination and mental health symptoms was buffered by host social connectedness (i.e., social connectedness with American students) but not ethnic social connectedness (i.e., social connectedness with Chinese students). This longitudinal analysis implies that efforts to reduce experiences of discrimination and to facilitate social connections between international and American students may help prevent negative mental health outcomes among international students.
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