The De Facto National System of Psychiatric Inpatient Caredoi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.579pmid: N/A
National data regarding psychiatric inpatient episodes can be viewed in 2 ways. The normative method surveys the “specialty mental health sector.” A more inclusive method includes smaller sites (e.g., the military), all of general hospital treatment (rather than only the psychiatric unit), residential treatment centers, and other residential care. The difference between the 2 methods represents approximately 725,000 episodes, at a direct cost of more than $6 billion. The more inclusive analysis of the years 1980 and 1985 reveals a strong shift to the private sector and an increase in inpatient care of children and youth that might be obscured by limiting national treatment statistics to the specialty mental health sector.
Acculturation and Mental Health Status Among Hispanicsdoi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.585pmid: N/A
Acculturation, the process whereby immigrants change their behavior and attitudes toward those of the host society, is a fundamental part of migration-induced adaptations to new sociocultural environments. A rapidly expanding research literature on acculturation has accompanied the growth of international migrations. In response to the need to integrate the growing literature on acculturation and mental health status among Hispanics in the United States, and to identify points of convergence and new directions for research, 30 publications were examined. Points of convergence are identified, as are problems and limitations. The research needs new directions, proceeding from but not constricted by the assumptions and procedures in the work already done.
Liberal Education, Study in Depth, and the Arts and Sciences MajorPsychologydoi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.598pmid: N/A
Undergraduate psychology is considered one of the contemporary arts and sciences majors that achieve liberal-education and study-in-depth goals. Past reports on the psychology major are reviewed as a preamble to defining the field of study and the conflicts that contributed to that definition. Eight common goals for the major are identified that are adaptable to a variety of institutional settings and resources. A common framework for course requirements is suggested and 4 curricular models to achieve the common goals are described. Assessment of the major as a program and evaluation of students and their learning are also described.
The Microgenetic Methoddoi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.606pmid: N/A
Progress in understanding cognitive developmental change mechanisms requires methods that yield detailed data about particular changes. The microgenetic method is an approach that can yield such data. It involves (a) observations of individual children throughout the period of the change, (b) a high density of observations relative to the rate of change within that period, and (c) intensive trial-by-trial analyses intended to infer the processes that gave rise to the change. This approach can illuminate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of change, indicate the conditions under which changes occur, and yield otherwise unobtainable information about short-lived transition strategies. The cost in time and effort of such studies is often high, but the value of the information about change can more than justify the cost.
The Art and Science of Family PsychologyKaslow, Florence W.
doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.621pmid: N/A
As a field, family psychology has expanded in depth and breadth to the point where it is being recognized as a branch of psychology in numerous countries. This article commences and concludes with developments in family psychology on the international level. It also explores the art and science of family psychology at both the micro level of the individual and the macro level of the family unit as a system and the larger systems with which the family interfaces. It is posited that efficacious work in this field should be guided by both scientific principles and methodology and by sensitivity and intuitive hunches, and should encompass the verbal and nonverbal, the mind and body, and the psyche and soma in a holistic view of individuals in their families and in the broader world ecological context.
The Art and Science of Family Psychologydoi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.621pmid: N/A
As a field, family psychology has expanded in depth and breadth to the point where it is being recognized as a branch of psychology in numerous countries. This article commences and concludes with developments in family psychology on the international level. It also explores the art and science of family psychology at both the micro level of the individual and the macro level of the family unit as a system and the larger systems with which the family interfaces. It is posited that efficacious work in this field should be guided by both scientific principles and methodology and by sensitivity and intuitive hunches, and should encompass the verbal and nonverbal, the mind and body, and the psyche and soma in a holistic view of individuals in their families and in the broader world ecological context.
Current Global Refugee Situation and International Public Policydoi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.627pmid: N/A
The scale of refugee movements has expanded dramatically in recent years. At the same time international assistance for refugees and displaced persons has declined. Increasingly limited opportunities for resettlement and limited resources for assistance do not bode well for meeting the nutritional, housing, health, and psychological needs of millions of adults and children. This article reviews these global trends and identifies the international and service issues they raise. Future prospects for meeting the needs of refugees and for repatriation are discussed.
Primary Prevention of Acculturative Stress Among RefugeesWilliams, Carolyn L.; Berry, J. W.
doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.632pmid: N/A
Primary prevention in refugee mental health requires information from clinical, health, and cross-cultural psychology. Primary prevention's roots are in public health, which is distinguished by a communitywide perspective for addressing mental health concerns. This article summarizes research suggesting that refugees are an at-risk population, making them especially suitable for public health interventions. Research on stress and acculturation is highlighted, given its importance to prevention in refugee mental health. The opportunities for primary prevention programs and policies at 3 levels (i.e., local community, national, and international) are illustrated with case examples from both the United States and Canada. Prevention at the international level is highlighted by a World Health Organization Mental Health Mission to camps on the Thai–Cambodian border.
Clinical Issues in Mental Health Service Delivery to Refugeesdoi: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.6.642pmid: N/A
Serious limitations exist in the delivery of mental health services to refugees throughout the resettlement process. Having survived harrowing physical and psychological traumas prior to reaching refugee camps, many refugees encounter mental health services in overseas camps that are characterized by fragmentation, instability, language barriers, and severe staff shortages. Refugees requiring mental health intervention after resettlement in the United States confront additional barriers, including frequent misdiagnosis, inappropriate use of interpreters and paraprofessionals, and culturally inappropriate treatment methods. Suggestions for improving mental health services for refugee populations emphasize modifying diagnostic assumptions and treatment approaches, recognizing potential problems associated with using interpreters and paraprofessionals, and examining the role of consultation, prevention, and outreach services in addressing refugee mental health concerns.