WORKING WITH AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS: A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

Authors: Sylvester Amara Lamin & Consoler Teboh

ABSTRACT

In the last three decades, many refugees and other immigrants have moved to the United States. Many of them have experienced mental health challenges but only a few of them seek professional help for various reasons. This is a qualitative study that utilized documentary analysis to explore whether the use of psychotherapy in working with refugees and immigrants from Africa with mental health challenges was efficacious. In this study, textbooks, and journal articles from the PsycINFO academic database in the last 15 years that have shown or addressed the limitations, critiques, barriers to effective psychotherapy from the dominant culture, and challenges of psychotherapy were analyzed.

Keywords: African refugee’s African immigrants, mental health, psychotherapy

REFERENCES

  • American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders, 1V Text Revised. American Psychiatric Press.
  • Ary, D. Jacobs, L.C., Sorensen Irvine, C.K. & Walker, D.A. (2019). Introduction to research in education. Cengage.
  • Baker, R. L. (1999). The social work dictionary. Washington, DC: NASW Press.
  • Bedell, J. R., Hunter, R. H., & Corrigan, P. W. (1997). Current approaches to Assessment and treatment of persons with serious mental illness. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Vol. 28, No. 3, 217-228.
  • Berstein, D. M. (2001). Therapist-patient relations and ethnic transference. In J. O. Prochaska & J. C. Norcross (Eds.), Systems of psychotherapy: A transTheoretical analysis. Brooks/Cole Publishing.
  • Berte, D.Z. (2016). Mental health issues in immigrant communities. In F. Chang- Muy & E.P. Congress (Eds.), Social work with immigrants and refugees: Legal issues, clinical skills, and advocacy (pp. 143-174). Springer Publishing Company.
  • Boserup, E. (1970). Women’s role in economic development. Earthscan Publication Ltd.
  • Bowen, C.A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal 9 (2) 27-40.
  • Brown, C.A. (1987). The new patriarchy. In C. Bose, R. Feldberg, & N. Sokoloff (Eds.), Hidden aspects of women’s work (pp.137-160). Praeger.
  • Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (9th ed.). Cengage.
  • Corra, M. (2023). Immigration from Africa to the United States: Key insights from recent research. Frontiers in Sociology. 1-11.
  • Ehntholt, K. A. & Yule, W. (2006). Practitioner review: Assessment and treatment of refugee children and adolescents who have experienced war-related trauma. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47:12, 1197-1210
  • Gavagan, T. & Brodyaga, L. (1998). Medical care for immigrants and refugees. American Family Physician Vol. 57/No. 5.
  • Granvold, D. K. (1996). Constructivist psychotherapy. Families in Societies: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services Vol. 63.
  • Hall, M. F. (2002). Race, gender, and transference in psychotherapy. In F. W. Kaslow  & J. F. Magnavitar (Eds.), Comprehensive handbook of psychotherapy psychodynamic/object relations. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Hartman, A. (1978). Diagrammatic assessment of family relationships. Social Casework 59 (8) 465-476.
  • Hendricks, C.O. & E.P. Congress (2016). Culturally competent social work practice with immigrant populations. In F. Chang- Muy & E.P. Congress (Eds.), Social work with immigrants and refugees: Legal issues, clinical skills, and advocacy (pp. 69-85). Springer Publishing Company.
  • Juliá, M. C. (Ed.). (1996). Multicultural awareness in the health care professions.  Allyn & Bacon.
  • Kottak, C. P. (1999). Mirror for humanity: A concise introduction to cultural anthropology, (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill College
  • Lamin, S.A. (2005). The coconut bond. Publish America.
  • Lamin, S.A. (2007). Women and development in Sierra Leone. Publish America.
  • Liddell, B., Byrow, Y., Mastrogiovanni, N & Shaw, I. (n.d.). Refugee traumatic stress and recovery processes: Clinical considerations. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
  • National Association of Social Workers (2001). Standards for culturally competent social work practice. NASW Press.
  • National Association of Social Workers (2021). Code of ethics. NASW Press.
  • National Association of Social Workers (2019). Challenges of refugee resettlement: Policy and psychosocial factors. Social Justice Brief https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=X2QaNfEuJUk%3D&portalid=0
  • Pinderhughes, E. (1994). Diversity and population at risk: Ethnic minorities and People of color. In F. G. Reamer (Ed.), The foundations of social work knowledge.Columbia University Press.
  • Potocky-Tripodi, M. (2003). Refugee economic adaptation: Theory, evidence, and implications for policy and practice. Journal of Social Service Research. 30(1):63-91.
  • Prochaska, J. O. & Norcross, J. C. (Eds.). (1994). Systems of psychotherapy: A Transtheorectical analysis. Brooks/Cole Publishing.
  • Prochaska, J. O. & Norcross, J. C. (2003). Systems of psychotherapy: A Transtheorectical analysis (5th ed.). Brooks/Cole Publishing.
  • Queralt, M. (1996). The social environment and human behavior: A diversity perspective. Allyn & Bacon.
  • Merriam, S.B. & Tisdell, E.J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey Bass.
  • Nichols, M.P. & Davis, S.D. (2021). Family therapy: Concepts and methods (12th ed.). Pearson.
  • Sasu, D.D. (2023). Population of Nigeria 1950-2023. Statista.
  • Schmidt, S. J. & Schimmelmann, B.G. (2013). Evidence-based psychotherapy in Children and adolescents: Advances, methodological and conceptual limitations, and perspectives. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 22 (5), 265-268.
  • Sevel, J., Cummins, L., & Madrigal, C. (1999). Social work skills demonstrated. Allyn and Bacon.
  • Schein, E. H. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publications.
  • Schriver, J. M. (2001). Human behavior and the social environment: Shifting paradigms in essential knowledge for social work practice. Allyn and Bacon.
  • Stellman, J. M. (1997). Women’s work, women’s health, myth, and realities. Pantheon Books.
  • Sue, D. W. & Sue, D. (1990). Counseling the culturally different: Theory and practice.  A Wiley-Interscience Publication.
  • Prochaska, J.O. & Norcross, J.C., with Sweeney, M.C. (2003). Gender and Culture- Sensitive Therapies (Chapter 12) In J.O. Prochaska & J.C. Norcross (Eds.). Systems of psychotherapy: A transtheoretical analysis (pp.417-455). Brooks/Cole Publishing.
  • Teboh, C. (2015). Newcomer adjustment and integration: A cultural diplomacy perspective. In M. Baffoe, L. Assimeng-Boahene & B.C. Ogbuago (Eds.). Settlers in transition: Pathways and roadblocks to settlement and citizenship of newcomers in new homelands (pp. 54-63). Linus Learning.
  • Thabet, A. A. M, & Vostanis, P. (1999). Post-traumatic stress reactions in children of war. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 385-391.
  • Tochinsky, A. (2023). Narrative fallacy and other limitations of psychodynamic case formulation. Practice Innovations. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000231
  • Tseng, W. (2001). Culture and psychotherapy: An overview. In W. Tseng, & J. Streltzer, (Eds.), Culture and psychotherapy. American Psychiatric Press.
  • Tseng, W. & Streltzer, J. (2001). Integration and conclusions. In W. Tseng, & Streltzer, J. (Eds.), Culture and psychotherapy. American Psychiatric Press.
  • UNESCO (2001). General conference adopts Universal Declaration on cultural diversity. Retrieved on February 15, 2005 from http://www.unesco.org/confgen/press_rel/021101_clt_diversity.shtml.
  • Walby, (1990). Theorizing patriarchy. London: Blackwell.
  • Zastrow, C. & Kirst-Ashman, K. (1990). Understanding human behavior and the social environment, (2nd ed.). Nelson Hall.
  • Zilberstein, K. (2014). The use and limitations of attachment theory in child psychotherapy. Psychotherapy 51 (1) 93-103.