| When working with migrants and displaced
persons from other cultures, some basic guidelines apply: |
| •
|
Find out the appropriate means of greeting
men, women, and children in a migrant’s culture.
Learn the names the culture uses for emotional distress
and mental illness. Many cultures understand mental
illness in a spiritual or religious context. Religious
or traditional healers use certain terms for such conditions
and it is useful to use the same terms. |
| • |
Use simple straightforward terms that are easy to
understand when asking migrants about possible mental
illness, such as "Are you hearing?" |
| • |
When working with people of other cultures, it is
helpful to find out as much about the country of origin
as possible, reviewing cultural values, family structure,
and appropriate behaviour for members of the particular
ethnic group .It is important, however, to remember
that each person is unique and to avoid stereotyping
individuals from the same culture |
| • |
Address physical problems along with mental and emotional
issues. In some cultures, symptoms for mental health
problems are described in physical terms, while others
provide psychological symptoms. It is important to go
deeper and not take the symptoms as being exactly as
described |
| Working
with migrants can be an enriching experience for all
individuals involved but it takes effort and patience
to overcome the challenges of coming from diverse political,
ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. There is much
to learn from each other and, if cultural respect and
sensitivity are practiced, the rewards can be great.
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