Psychological functioning in Black Americans: A conceptual guide for use in psychotherapy.

Abstract

A model is presented which provides a guide for conceptualizing psychological functioning in Black Americans. Four classes of variables are described: 1) reactions to racial oppression; 2) influence of the majority culture; 3) influence of traditional Afro-American culture; and 4) individual and family experiences and endowments. For each class of variables, the salient issues are presented and their application in psychotherapy is discussed, using clinical examples.Over the past two decades, clinicians and clinical researchers have outlined a number of salient factors in the conduct of psychotherapy with Black Americans. The issues considered have included transference and countertransference problems

The influence of racial factors on psychiatric diagnosis: A review and suggestions for research

“…We should appreciate the fact that treatment decisions are made on the basis of multiple factors and are not always diagnostic specific. Therefore, in the future, researchers must also consider mounting investigations of how racial factors affect clinical decision making in the use of antipsychotic and antidepressant medication, combining medication and psychotherapy, and the use of various types of psychotherapy, e.g., brief or long-term, suggestive or educative, nondirective or insight-oriented (Jones, 1985). Such decisions are influenced by the availability of services and the particular theoretical and therapeutic bias of the deciding clinician.…”

Cross-cultural therapeutic relationships: Entering the world of African Americans

“…African Am erican clients m ay be generally labeled hostile and unm otivated for treatm ent (Block, 1981). Jones (1985) explained that a com m on stereotype of African A m ericans is ª synonym ous with being`lower class' º (p. 365), ignoring the growing num bers of achieving m iddle-class A frican A m ericans in this country. Stereotypes, such as these, and covert biases undoubtedly negatively in¯uence the therapeutic process.…”

Real Scenarios and Complementary Lectures: A Classroom Training Approach to Increase Counselor Awareness, Knowledge, and Skill

“…In short, with this lecture, the student becomes familiar with racism reaction statements and behaviors and becomes capable of distinguishing them from statements and behavior representing paranoia. In a counseling context, a number of practitioners have posited that counselors should learn how to distinguish between healthy psychological reactions to racism and paranoia or delusional behavior (Jones, 1985;Ridley, 1989). Finally, students can be educated about the history of oppression of African Americans as well as of other cultural and ethnic groups, which might facilitate reactions such as evidenced in this case; students also realize how functional this line of thinking can be even when, on occasion, the situation is not racially motivated.…”