Hadjistavropoulos SSG Chapter15

15 Cross-Cultural Issues
in Health Psychology
Chapter Summary
Shifting demographics in the US and Canada have spurred increased focus on cultural issues in
health psychology training, research, and clinical work. While race denotes a biological basis for
some difference, ethnicity accounts for the subjectivity of self-report in group identification, and
culture focuses on shared ideologies.
Researchers have emphasized the importance of incorporating culture into a biopsychosocial

framework to help explain health disparities in the general population. Indigenous and African-
American populations are at particular risk for experiencing several negative health outcomes. It
must be stressed that health disparities are not a consequence of group membership or ethnicity;
rather, they are the result of a chain of events and other determinants of health, such as socio-
economic status, racial discrimination, healthcare access and treatment quality, and health behaviour,
all of which can be influenced by acculturation.
When considering the influence of culture on mental disorders that may be co-morbid with physical
disorders, differing cross-cultural symptom presentations may be relevant. It is also important to
consider the literature on psychological therapies with different cultural groups and cultural compe-
tence in clinical work.
Essay Topics
1. What are the effects of acculturation on immigrant populations? (pp. 341–342)
2. What are some of the significant health disparities in North America? (pp. 335–341)
Fundamentals of Health Psychology, Second Edition

© Oxford University Press Canada, 2019
3. What are the similarities and differences among alternative and complimentary medical systems?
(pp. 332–334)
4. What does it mean for a practitioner to be culturally competent? What impact does this have on
the care of diverse populations? (pp. 344–346).
Weblinks
https://nccih.nih.gov/
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) provides information on
policies and guidelines, medicinal herbs, and research results.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw-N1psSjGc
This video explores how Traditional Chinese Medicine works by explaining the importance of the
balance between yin and yang.
https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/cultural-competency
APA fact sheets and website on cultural competency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPq_Rg9OmVI
In this short lecture, Dr Suzanne Bronheim of Georgetown University examines the health belief
model and describes how cultural factors are related to each of the elements of the model.
https://www.kidsnewtocanada.ca/culture/influence
A guide for health professionals working with immigrant and refugee children and youth
Glossary
Acculturation A socio-cultural process that occurs when people relocate to another culture wherein
they adapt to and take on characteristics (i.e., behavioural, belief, and lifestyle) of the “new” second
culture via continual contact.
Cultural competence Having the required training, experience, and qualifications to provide care to
clients from different cultural backgrounds by acknowledging the importance of culture at multiple
levels, being sensitive to differences in cultural dynamics, and adapting services to meet the client’s
culturally unique needs.
Culture A set of values, ideals, beliefs, and assumptions about life shared among a particular group
of people and transmitted generationally, rarely with implicit instruction.
Culture-bound syndromes A recurrent pattern of abnormal behaviour and experience, specifically

in relation to a local culture/community that may or may not be linked to a recognized category of
mental disorders (e.g., anxiety disorders).

Determinants of health The range of personal, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that de-
termine the health status of people or groups of people. Government agencies often prioritize sets
of determinants within a healthcare platform.
Ethnicity Subjectively identifying with a group by accepting group customs and practices from one’s
culture of origin in conjunction with a feeling a belonging.
Hofstede’s value dimensions of culture A framework of five cultural dimensions that may vary across
cultures including: individualism–collectivism; power distance; uncertainty avoidance; masculinity–
femininity; and Confucian dynamism (long- vs short-term orientation).
Postcolonial theory Literary and cultural theory that attempts to understand the process and problems
stemming from European colonization and its effects. It is often noted that historical texts represent
the perspectives of the colonizers with little acknowledgement of the experiences of those who were
colonized.
Race A term intended to capture differences in biological substrates based on physical characteristics
such as skin colour and hair type. However, the term is contentious, given current understandings of
genetics.


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15 Cross-Cultural Issues

Researchers have emphasized the importance of incorporating culture into a biopsychosocial

Fundamentals of Health Psychology, Second Edition

Culture-bound syndromes A recurrent pattern of abnormal behaviour and experience, specifically

Fundamentals of Health Psychology, Second Edition

Fundamentals of Health Psychology, Second Edition

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