An important aspect of genetic counseling is the recognition of and adaptation to the socio-cultural uniqueness of the different populations that a genetics clinic serves. The Central Valley of California is home to a large population from Mexico, with a significant proportion of indigenous ancestry originating from the state of Oaxaca. We report on our experience with two families of this community—one extended family with an early lethal inborn error of metabolism and the other with a chronic disfiguring form of ichthyosis. We identified multiple important factors that needed to be considered, including the matching of language dialects, adaptation to different social interaction conventions, acknowledgement of traditional medicine beliefs, and effective transmission of genetic terms and concepts, all of which should be incorporated into the interactions with these families when aiming to provide comprehensive genetic counseling.
Objectives: To present an instrument in Mixtec, Zapotec, and Spanish to assess the mental health of indigenous Oaxacan communities from Mexico. To provide suggestions on how this instrument could be useful for indigenous communities in other Latin American regions. Methods: This manuscript includes a literature review of articles published in mental health among communities originating from Oaxaca, Mexico and presents the process followed in the development of a culturally appropriate mental health instrument. The instrument was created by a Spanish speaking Advanced Practice Nurse and translated by a university student public health worker and a professional nurse from Oaxaca, Mexico whose native languages are Mixtec and Zapotec. Results: A culturally appropriate instrument was developed to assess the mental health of people with Oaxacan origin. This instrument includes some questions related with Covid-19. It was translated into Spanish, Mixtec, and Zapotec. The Spanish version is available in the written form but the Mixtec and Zapotec versions are available only in the audio form since they are languages of oral tradition. Conclusions: The mental health needs of Oaxacan communities living in the United States and other parts of Latin America are pressing and even more in the domain of mental health. The mental health instrument here discussed is a contribution to the understanding and solution of the identified relevant problems.
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