title: Attending to Communication and Patterns of Interaction: Culturally Sensitive Mental Health Care for Groups of Urban, Ethnically Diverse, Impoverished, and Underserved Women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The United States is ethnically diverse. This diversity presents challenges to nurses, who, without empirical evidence to design culturally congruent interventions, may contribute to mental health care disparities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Using Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality, this study documented communication and interaction patterns of ethnically diverse, urban, impoverished, and underserved women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a community-based participatory research framework, 61 Black, Hispanic, and White women participated in focus groups around their experiences with anxiety/depression. Researchers recorded verbal communication, nonverbal behavior, and patterns of interaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The women's communication and interaction patterns gave evidence of three themes that were evident across all focus groups and five subthemes that emerged along ethnic lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest cultural universalities and cultural uniquenesses relative to the communication and interaction patterns of urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished, and underserved women that may assist in the design of culturally sensitive mental health care.
authors: Mary Molewyk Doornbos, PhD, RN, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, USA door@calvin.edu.
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Molewyk Doornbos
authors: Gail Landheer Zandee, MSN, RN, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
authors: Gail Landheer
authors: GL
authors: Zandee
authors: Joleen DeGroot, BSN, RN, Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
authors: Joleen
authors: J
authors: DeGroot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D065246:Culturally Competent Care / Q000379:methods*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011203:Poverty; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: anxiety and anxiety disorders; cross-cultural issues; depression; women’s mental health