Biomaterial Database

Mental health and North American Indian/Native communities: cultural transactions, education, and regulation. 1987

D McShane

Critical issues in the delivery of mental health services to North American Indians/Natives residing in rural areas are discussed by describing Indian populations/communities; briefly summarizing available literature concerning the nature of mental health problems within Indian communities; examining Indian belief systems relevant to participation in mental health service delivery processes; exploring community expectations for structuring participatory interactions which may inhibit utilization of mental health services; and describing transactions between Indian consumers and non-Indian professionals which have become typical over time. The rural context was examined as it interacts with individual and community characteristics to affect Indian mental health. Relations between geography and culture, important in understanding the mental health problems of Indian people, are discussed in regard to expanding community healing resources through empowerment, and viewing "education as transformation" as a key concept in enhancing community healing processes.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007198	Indians, North American	Members of indigenous North American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, North American,Indigenous North Americans,American Indian, North,American, Indigenous North,Amerind, North American,Indian, North American,Indigenous North American,North American Amerind,North American Amerinds,North American Indian,North American Indians,North American, Indigenous
D008519	Medicine, Traditional	Systems of medicine based on cultural beliefs and practices handed down from generation to generation. The concept includes mystical and magical rituals (SPIRITUAL THERAPIES); PHYTOTHERAPY; and other treatments which may not be explained by modern medicine.	Ethnomedicine,Folk Medicine,Folk Remedies,Home Remedies,Medicine, Folk,Medicine, Indigenous,Medicine, Primitive,Indigenous Medicine,Primitive Medicine,Traditional Medicine,Folk Remedy,Home Remedy,Remedies, Folk,Remedies, Home,Remedy, Folk,Remedy, Home
D011613	Psychotherapy	A generic term for the treatment of mental illness or emotional disturbances primarily by verbal or nonverbal communication.	Psychotherapies
D003156	Community Mental Health Services	Diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive mental health services provided for individuals in the community.	Community Mental Health Service,Mental Health Services, Community,Assertive Community Treatment,Health Services, Community Mental,Services, Community Mental Health,Services, Mental Health Community,Community Treatment, Assertive,Treatment, Assertive Community
D003466	Cultural Characteristics	Those aspects or characteristics which identify a culture.	Ethnic Boundary Maintenance,Boundary Maintenance, Ethnic,Boundary Maintenances, Ethnic,Characteristic, Cultural,Characteristics, Cultural,Cultural Characteristic,Ethnic Boundary Maintenances,Maintenance, Ethnic Boundary,Maintenances, Ethnic Boundary
D003469	Culture	A collective expression for all behavior patterns acquired and socially transmitted through symbols. Culture includes customs, traditions, and language.	Cultural Relativism,Customs,Beliefs,Cultural Background,Background, Cultural,Backgrounds, Cultural,Belief,Cultural Backgrounds,Cultural Relativisms,Cultures,Relativism, Cultural,Relativisms, Cultural
D006266	Health Education	Education that increases the awareness and favorably influences the attitudes and knowledge relating to the improvement of health on a personal or community basis.	Community Health Education,Education, Health,Education, Community Health,Health Education, Community
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000069	Acculturation	Process of cultural change in which one group or members of a group assimilate various cultural patterns from another.	Assimilation, Cultural,Cultural Assimilation
D000223	Adaptation, Psychological	A state of harmony between internal needs and external demands and the processes used in achieving this condition. (From APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed).	Behavior, Adaptive,Healthy Adaptation,Positive Adaptation,Psychological Recovery,Adaptation, Psychologic,Adjustment,Psychological Adaptation,Adaptation, Healthy,Adaptation, Positive,Adaptive Behavior,Adaptive Behaviors,Healthy Adaptations,Positive Adaptations,Psychologic Adaptation,Psychological Recoveries,Recovery, Psychological