Cultural and linguistic considerations in psychodiagnosis with Hispanics: the need for an empirically informed process model.
It is estimated that in the next century nearly half of the clientele seeking mental health services will be members of ethnic minority groups. Hispanics are the most rapidly growing population in the United States, and epidemiological evidence suggests that they present higher levels of psychiatric symptomatology and prevalence rates of disorder compared with other ethnic groups. Despite the unprecedented recognition of cultural considerations found in DSM-IV for rendering a psychiatric diagnosis, there is still surprisingly little empirical research examining cultural and linguistic factors influencing the diagnostic process. This article critically reviews this research and considers process variables that can inform social workers' culturally sensitive diagnosis of Hispanics.
Malgady
R G
RG
New York University, 200 East Building, New York, NY 10003, USA. malgady@aol.com
Zayas
L H
LH
D003144:Communication Barriers; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008487:Medical History Taking; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric / Q000592:standards*; D014175:Translating; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology