Depathologizing Asian American Perspectives of Health and Healing.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this literature review is to analyze how culture, both western and Asian, affect the characterization of Asian Americans in mental health. FINDINGS: Asian Americans are pathologized by the current Western health care system in two primary areas&colon; somatization and dependency. The diagnosis of somatization contributes to the stereotyping of Asian Americans as hypochondriacal and alexythymic&semi; the dependency characterization fosters the belief that Asian Americans are physcoloically immature and unsophisicated. Due to these perceptions, mental health services do not adequately serve the needs of Asian Americans. CONCLUSIONS: A cultural perspective of indigenous Asian values and specific diagnositic terminology explains these differences in Asian American practices of health and healing.
Yeh
Christine J.
CJ
Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th St., New York, NY 10027, USA. cy101@columbia.edu