A Multicultural Perspective on Principles of Empirically Supported Interventions

Abstract

The authors evaluate the Principles of Empirically Supported Interventions (PESI) that have been recommended by Wampold, Lichtenberg, and Waehler for how well the principles promote attention to cultural issues. Their review suggests that the PESI could indicate the need to consider cultural issues when evaluating intervention research, but the authors have reservations about how well incorporation of cultural considerations will actually occur in future research based on the three applications of the PESI included in this special issue.

Situating Psychotheraphy with Tribal Peoples in a Sovereignty Paradigm

“…While colonial schemas are important to examine at the provider level, it is also crucial to consider colonial schemas operating more widely within the profession such as through the psychotherapy debates that encompass evidence-based practice because these too have the potential to trigger historical trauma and grief (Baker, McFall, & Shoham, 2008;Chambless, 2001;Quintana & Atkinson, 2002;Wampold, 2001;Wampold et al, 1997). This can occur when AIAN people receive evidence-based treatments that are assumed to be effective because similar treatments have worked for different populations that may share similar symptomatic expressions of distress.…”

The outcome of behavioral intervention with a person living with schizophrenia who exhibited medication noncompliance: A case study.

“…Fourth, both Tim and the author were not fluent English speakers, so there was a communication difficulty throughout the intervention. Quintana and Atkinson (2002) argued that mental health professionals who lack the necessary linguistic skills to work with foreign clients could render ineffectual an otherwise effective intervention strategy. A similar undesirable effect can occur during assessment (Heppner, 2006).…”

Toward a Multicultural Positive Psychology:

“…Finally, research to date on forgiveness interventions has not achieved a level of specificity that examines the relative effectiveness of different forgiveness interventions for different cultural populations (Worthington et al, 2000). There is a great need to integrate a multicultural perspective with future research on forgiveness interventions (Quintana & Atkinson, 2002).…”

“…Forgiveness researchers can also build on substantive bodies of research on acculturation and family conflicts to investigate forms of coping that might be related to forgiveness and unforgiveness as well as the associated health consequences. Culturally appropriate psychoeducational and counseling interventions to promote forgiveness need to be developed and empirically tested for Hmong Americans as well as other populations (Quintana & Atkinson, 2002). In the case of Hmong Americans, psychoeducational interventions might be the most ecologically valid approach to forgiveness intervention and could be embedded in parent education or youth programs.…”