Latinos and electroconvulsive therapy: implications for treatment, research, and reform in Texas and beyond.
No literature exists concerning the implications of using electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the treatment of Latinos. Given the large and increasing Latino population in the United States, the contentious history of ECT, and the possible differences in language and cultural vantage point between the typical ECT provider and Latino client, this paucity of research is worrisome. This article identifies a number of potential problems involved in multiculturally untrained service providers treating Latinos with ECT, including invalid diagnoses, an incomplete knowledge of the strengths and resiliencies of the client, and the use of ECT rather than culturally appropriate interventions. Also discussed are Latino cultural beliefs and practices salient to mental health service providers, some of the recent mandates for multiculturally informed service provision in mental health, ideas for the constructive modification of the diagnostic and treatment protocols currently guiding the use of ECT with Latinos, and needed research relevant to the issues raised.
Major
Ken
K
Psychology Department, Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 SW 24th Street, San Antonio, TX 78207, USA. gmajok@lake.ollusa.edu
D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D013781:Texas; D014481:United States