Background/aim With a steady increase of refugees arriving in Australia from Afghanistan coupled with reports that prevalence of mental illness amongst Afghan refugees in South‐East Melbourne is particularly high, mental health providers will need to acquire cultural competence to provide effective treatment. There is a dearth of literature on the subject of rehabilitation of Afghan psychiatric clients in the Australian context, providing the impetus for this article. To illustrate the impact of Afghan socio‐cultural beliefs and attitudes on the implementation of occupational therapy and rehabilitation programmes in a mental health facility and adaptations to accommodate the needs of the clients and their families. Method Two case vignettes of Afghan clients are presented to illustrate the variance in goals and expectations of the clients and their families to that of the occupational therapy and rehabilitation programmes offered. Conclusion Family expectations and involvement, culture‐specific factors and religion play significant roles in the presentation and treatment of clients from the Muslim culture and require modification in implementation of rehabilitation programmes. A need for developing family or community‐based services is proposed coupled with culturally responsive practices. Culture sensitive models of occupational therapy will need to be developed as younger generations of refugee families acculturate and need psychological help to deal with conflicts with parents and elders who hold values different from those adopted by their children born and brought up in the Australian socio‐cultural environment. These and other issues mentioned above provide fertile fields for research in this evolving area of occupational therapy.
Nurses are continually promoting health and healthy lifestyles. This contribution requires that nurses understand client values and priorities. Traditionally, women have had responsibility for their own and their families' health. Nurses must recognize and understand the complex influences shaping the value women place on health. The literature indicates that women want to participate actively in their own health care by assuming more responsibility for their health and well-being. This research evolved as a result of nursing student and faculty interactions with mothers of pre-school children enrolled in a Headstart program. During these experiences, observations related to the needs of the mothers included poor health practices (smoking, being overweight), lack of motivation, statements of feeling depressed, difficulty making decisions, feelings of being overwhelmed by parenting demands, powerlessness, and disenfranchisement. This descriptive, correlational study was designed to determine the value of health, incidence of depression, and characteristics of self-esteem among low-income mothers of pre-school children. This sample of convenience was comprised of 133 low-income mothers who responded to a mailed survey. Three instruments were used in the study: the Wallston and Wallston Health Values Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Data were analyzed by collection of frequency of response, which was then converted to a percentage. To determine if differences existed in respect to demographic variables, ANOVA (self-esteem and depression) and Chi Square (health) measures were used. Participation in activities outside the home accounted for a significant difference in self-esteem. Mothers involved in activities reported higher self-esteem. The findings suggest that participation in activities may increase self-esteem and lower depression. Over three-quarters (85%) of mothers placed a high value on health. Based on their high valuing of health and the potential for increasing self-esteem through activity, it can be concluded that the women in this sample will benefit from planned health activities. It is also anticipated that, because of the strong relationship between self-esteem and depression, women who participate in these activities will demonstrate lower levels of depression.
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