We neglect culture at our own peril. If we do not understand how a specific culture views sadness, then knowing whether a person is depressed or sad is difficult. Also, the way that a culture views sadness (or any other emotion) can also play into what is considered mental health to the individual from that culture. However, that cultural awareness about sadness or other emotion should not be assumed because the patient comes from a specific culture. In an interprofessional team approach, the hope is that someone on the team is culturally aware enough to point out the assumptions being made about the patient in terms of his or her culture. Collaboration between the members of an interprofessional team means a coordinated approach to healthcare and shared decision-making around health and social issues with the goal of improving the patient’s health and quality of life. One member of the team at minimum should have enough cultural awareness to be able to add that knowledge to the collaboration on decision making so that the patient does not suffer from assumptions about them that do not fit.
For mental health patients, cultural knowledge may be especially relevant because their emotional or psychological issues may or may not be considered abnormal in their culture. Knowing enough about the culture of which the patient is a part will be useful to provide the patient’s perspective to the interprofessional team. Having that information can help the team approach treatment of the patient perhaps with something similar to the patient’s perspective. Providing that level of understanding can help the patient to see that the healthcare team caring for him or her is trying to help. They can see that they have made an effort to be empathetic and this can encourage the patient to participate in the treatment.
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