Asian American Health Clients There are several issu

Luckmann and Sorensen (1986) report that the cultural mores, norms, values and beliefs, in addition to those that are societally oriented, play significant roles not only in the manner in which individuals perceive of health in general and their health status in specific, but as well in the ways in which they respond to treatment by health-care professionals. They note:

In large part, our particular way of viewing life and the world surrounding us originates in our cultural heritage. Cultural attitudes, beliefs, and traditions are deeply ingrained in each of us and can affect all aspects of our personality and life, including our attitudes toward health and disease.

While cultural factors significantly contribute to the ways in which health-care is received by a given group of individuals, there is also the issue of variation within the culture. This is important for the health-care professional to keep in consideration as well, given that cultural variation can manifest relative to individual differences due to a variety of causes, including generational gaps, income, exposure

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that health-care professionals can at least be aware of some of the more general cultural and ethnic values, mores, etc. so that they can better serve their Asian-American clients. Sue and Sue (1990, p. 198) concur, reporting that Indo-chinese client values tend to significantly differ from those of American-trained health-care professionals. This difference, when not at least somewhat mediated by the American-trained health-care professional, can result in less than desired health-care delivery for Asian-American clients. Sue and Sue (1990, p. 198) note that Indochinese focus upon interdependence; believe in and maintain structured and appropriate social relationships; believe that they should live in harmony with nature; perceive that mental illness is due to an imbalance in cosmic forces or the lack of will power; feel that there is no cultural conceptualization of psychotherapy; believe that all health-care treatment should be short and rapid; perceive that the health-care professional should be active and give solutions to problems; and that serious illness, including mental illness, represents a failure of the family. These general beliefs of the Indochinese must of necessity be incorporated into the health-care of thes
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Approximate Word count = 2485
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)