Diversity and Cultural Sensitivity in Mental Health

Question: Discuss about the Diversity and Cultural Sensitivity in Mental Health. Answer: Introduction: Prevalence of mental disorders among asylum seekers and refugees in Australia has always drawn the attention of policymakers to improve their well-being and reduce the burden of health-related costs. In the year 2014, there were around 3500 people in immigration detention facilities and 3000 people in the community detention in Australia. The number of people going to asylum in 2012 was around 15000. More than 85% of the detainees were reported to have depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. They also exhibited self-harm and suicidal ideation. Suicide rates were up to ten times more in detention centres as compared to Australian community (Horyniak et al., 2016). Symptoms of psychological illness are more common in refugees and asylum seekers. However, they do not necessarily indicate any form of mental illness. Negative attention from the mass media has attempted to bring into focus the mental status of this section of the population. Asylum and refugees living in Australia are vulnerable to suicidal behaviours and self-harm. However, they are not getting the care they need. Reports have found that the rate of anxiety, post-traumatic disorder and depression are as much as four times more among Tamil asylum seekers in Australia than among other immigrants. Moreover, young individuals have more risk of suffering from depression from a broader observatory viewpoint. There is a lack of clear picture of the actual mental health condition of the refugee community in Australia. Whether mental health research gives the needed emphasis on linguistic and cultural diversity in the country is a topic of debate (Higgins, 2016). Refugees and asylum seekers are at high risk of suffering mental health problems as they undergo displacement. Moreover, they are from different cultural backgrounds and undergo different experiences, leading to altered mental status. There is a rich pool of evidence that loss and trauma have a profound ongoing impact on the people migrating to Australia from other parts of the country (Newman et al., 2013). The common mental health problems are chronic grief, depression and stress. The most serious problems may compel them to engage in behaviours like panic attacks, self-harm, agoraphobia, disruptive behaviour, sleeping disorders, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and sleeping disorders. Stressors leading to such mental health conditions include loss of near ones, racism, poverty and marginalisation. Refugees and asylum seekers face hurdles in accessing adequate health care services for mental illness and psychological trauma (Li et al., 2016). The prevalence of common mental health problems among immigrants is initially is less in comparison to the general population. However, with time, the prevalence increases to become similar to that of the general population. Refugees experiencing severe exposure to any form of violence have more chances of suffering trauma-related disorders. These disorders include chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and other somatic syndrome (Mayne et al., 2016). Assessment for identifying risks for mental health problems encompass consideration of stresses of migration, pre-migration exposures, uncertainty faced at the time of migration, post migration settlement experiences related to health outcomes and adaptation. The effectiveness of clinical assessment and interventions can be increased by employing trained interpreters who can break cultural and language barrier and lead to mutual understanding. Communication build up would be stronger in this process (Ellis et al., 2014). My personal belief is that there is an urgent need of employing health professionals who are adequately trained and have the knowledge to understand the actual mental health problems of the refugees and asylum seekers against the cultural and social backdrops instead of assuming and imposing diagnoses of illness. This is understood through the high prevalence of mental disorders in all refugee populations. I think this is due to the over-diagnosis of mental disorders instead of normal reactions individuals tend to give to stress and the unsuitable environment. Social factors form to be the most important factor in the determination of mental health. There is an urgent need of addressing these factors, and I would like to see the government take up more initiatives to address these concerns. Governments must also consider that a number of individual factors affect the mental health of the refugees in combination. So the associated factors must not be left out from the strategic plan t o combat this vital issue. References Ellis, B. H., Murray, K., Barrett, C. (2014). Understanding the mental health of refugees: trauma, stress, and the cultural context. InThe Massachusetts General Hospital textbook on diversity and cultural sensitivity in mental health(pp. 165-187). Springer New York. Higgins, C. (2016). Australian Community Attitudes to Asylum Seekers and Refugees.Hum. Rts. Defender,25, 25. Horyniak, D., Melo, J., Farrell, R., Ojeda, V. D., Strathdee, S. A. (2016). Prevalence and risk factors for substance use among refugees, internally displaced people and asylum seekers: findings from a global systematic review.Annals of Global Health,82(3), 423-424. Li, S. S., Liddell, B. J., Nickerson, A. (2016). The relationship between post-migration stress and psychological disorders in refugees and asylum seekers.Current psychiatry reports,18(9), 82. Mayne, J., Lowrie, D., Wilson, J. (2016). Occupational Experiences of Refugees and Asylum Seekers Resettling in Australia: A Narrative Review.OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health,36(4), 204-215. Newman, L., Proctor, N., Dudley, M. (2013). Seeking asylum in Australia: immigration detention, human rights and mental health care.Australasian Psychiatry,21(4), 315-320.