Assignment 1: Culture-Bound Syndromes

How alike are mental disorders in different cultures throughout the world? How would a health professional in the United States approach the process of treating someone who presents a cultural syndrome? Those are questions that you will answer through your first Week 6 Assignment.

Your Learning Resources this week feature the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V, 5th edition). It is the main reference used by U.S. mental health professionals to identify and describe symptoms of mental disorders. Your required reading includes content in the manual on cultural syndromes.

There is no one-to-one correspondence between a cultural syndrome and a DSM diagnosis. However, a psychologist would need to utilize a respected diagnostic tool like the DSM as a starting point in determining the most appropriate treatment for a suffering person.

Your Assignment this week is an opportunity to think like a mental health professional while applying what you have learned about cross-cultural psychology. For this Assignment, you will explore different cultural syndromes and analyze the application of DSM-V diagnostic criteria to specific syndromes of your choice .

To prepare:

• Review Chapter 9 in your course text, with particular attention to the sections on cultural syndromes and DSM-V.
• Review Table 9.1, “Specific Cultural Syndromes,” in the course text (pp. 259–261). There are 21 cultural disorders identified. Select seven cultural syndromes as the focus of your Assignment .
• Review the DMS-V chapter on Cultural Formation and the Appendix, “Glossary of Cultural Concepts of Distress,” in the Week 6 Learning Resources. Note that multiple potential diagnoses are listed for some syndromes, but you will need to select and defend one diagnosis.
• Explore the entire DSM-V, also provided in your Week 6 Learning Resources. Consider how the cultural syndromes you selected may be diagnosed when applying the DSM-V criteria.
• Access the Handout Worksheet in the Learning Resources. You will use it to complete your Assignment.

By Day 7

Submit a completed worksheet with information on seven cultural syndromes of your choice.

In the designated rows of the worksheet, provide the following for each of your selected cultural syndromes:

• Identify the name of the cultural syndrome.
• Describe the main symptoms and behaviors of the cultural syndrome.
• Identify the DSM-V disorder that you believe is a possible diagnosis of the cultural syndrome.
• List key symptoms and behaviors related to the chosen DSM-V diagnosis that also relate to the cultural syndrome.
• Provide a brief explanation of your choice of the DSM-V disorder and how you see it connecting to the cultural syndrome.

Note: Support the responses within your Assignment with evidence from the assigned Learning Resources. Provide a reference list for resources you used for this Assignment.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

• Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK6Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
• Click the Week 6 Assignment 1 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
• Click the Week 6 Assignment 1 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
• Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK6Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
• If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
• Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Using the Triage Assessment Form

After reading the case examples in the Myer and Conte (2006) article, you have a better understanding of how to use one type of assessment tool. A Microsoft Word copy of the Triage Assessment Form (TAF) is included in the assignment Resources. The most current version of this form is also shown in your James and Gilliland (2013) text, pages 63–65. Use the form to analyze Jordan, described below. You can save the form as you have completed it as a MS Word document or as a PDF document, and attach the form to your written paper as an appendix.

Rate the client in each of the three domains (Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive) using the Severity Scale included with each domain on the Triage Assessment Form (TAF) and total the scores. Describe, in detail, the rationale for your ratings, including your judgment about how intense and directive the treatment should be based upon the total score. In your discussion of the rationale, summarize diagnostic skills and techniques that can be used to screen for addiction, aggression, and danger to self and others, as you note these risks in your client. Similarly, a possible co-occurring mental disorder (such as substance abuse) may become apparent during a crisis, disaster, or other trauma-causing event that ties in with your assessment during the client’s crisis. Note this as well in your rationale.

Project Objectives

To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to:

·         Summarize diagnostic skills and techniques used to screen for addiction, aggression, and danger to self and others, as well as co-occurring mental disorders during a crisis, disaster, or other trauma-causing events.

·         Evaluate key elements of the crisis, disaster, or trauma-causing event including the nature of the crisis and associated risks, including client and counselor safety.

·         Discuss developmental and cultural considerations in crisis assessment and intervention.

·         Exhibit proficiency in effective, credible academic writing, and critical thinking skills.

Note: A template for your APA formatted paper is included in the assignment Resources. Please use the template to present the assignment criteria in an organized way. The headings guide you to the criteria, and the details that are included describe what is necessary to complete the assignment to a Distinguished degree.

Case

Jordan

Jordan arrives at counseling saying that her husband, Jake, left the house earlier that day in an agitated mood and with his rifle, and tearfully discloses concerns about her safety and his. She states that her friend, who has been worried about her for some time, insisted that she see a counselor. Jordan says she was surprised at Jake’s abrupt departure because she was unaware of any plans he had to go hunting, and if he was not going hunting, why he would take his gun out. She recalls that she and Jake had fought the previous night over his drinking. Jordan reports that she asked Jake to stop drinking so much, and in response, he threatened her and slammed a few doors. She recalls that Jake said he liked being a little drunk and pushed her back against the kitchen counter at one point. When Jake went back into a spare bedroom to sleep that night, Jordan found numerous beer bottles in the den and a large empty whiskey bottle in front of his truck. Jordan states that it was not unusual for Jake to put his rifle in his truck when he planned to go hunting, but when he had done so today, he had still been quite angry about her accusation that he was drinking too much. After he left, Jordan reports that she began shaking. She felt fear for her own safety, so she called her friend who insisted that she speak to a counselor. While Jordan was on her way to counseling, her husband called her. He seemed calm, asked about her day, and said nothing about the previous night or his abrupt departure. Jordan states that this switch in mood from extreme aggression to a pleasant tone “seems weird.” Jordan asks for help in dealing with her husband’s odd behaviors. She fears for her own safety and the safety of her husband, but is unwilling to call the police. As she speaks, she is agitated and continually looks over at the doorway, as though expecting it to burst open.

Project Requirements

·         Content: Prepare a comprehensive paper that includes all elements described.

·         Components: The paper must include a title page, abstract, and reference list.

·         Written communication: Develop accurate written communication and thoughts that convey the overall goals of the project and do not detract from the overall message.

·         APA formatting: Resources and citations must be formatted according to APA (6th Edition) style and formatting.

·         Number of pages: The body of the paper should fall within 3–5 pages of text, plus 3 pages of the Triage Assessment Form, excluding title page and reference list.

·         Number of resources: Minimum of 4 current resources, published within the last 12 years, and you may include your text as one.

·         Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

Submit the completed paper and form to the assignment area.