Cultural Considerations

Understanding the implications of culture on safe and appropriate use of mental health medication

Agency details Contact person Target group(s) Partners and funding Timing

This project will explore how culture influences the decisions people make about using medicines for mental health problems.

Previous researchers have examined interventions to enhance compliance with antipsychotic medications to reveal that education and beliefs about treatment (Gray et al ) may, but will not always, improve compliance as collaborative relationships are essential. Based on this and the works of Kleinman and Seeman this project will utilise the "explanatory model" of cultural awareness in mental health. This means examination of the way in which the symptoms of mental distress are understood, the way in which help is sought and the way compliance with treatment such as prescription medication is understood and evaluated by those who receive it. The concept of "side effect" is, for example, something likely vary across cultures. The research questions will therefore involve looking at the "cognitive distance" between CALD community experience and understanding of medication compliance and what practitioners can do to achieve optimal, culturally appropriate and safe compliance with medication.

This project, to be conducted over 12 months to October 2006, will examine the relevant literature around the taking of medication, particularly in culturally diverse groups. Collaborating organisations in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia will conduct a series of consultations with mental health consumers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to better understanding how culture, cultural beliefs and explanatory models of mental illness affect the way they view medication and its safe and appropriate use.

The focus groups will explore beliefs, community perceptions, partnerships and roles, nursing and other professional roles and the information needs of consumers and their families.

The information generated by this project will be published by MMHA later this year and will be used to develop strategies to promote safe and effective use of mental health medication by culturally and linguistically diverse mental health consumers, develop information for service providers on the effects of culture, cultural beliefs and explanatory models of mental illness on how people use medicines, and inform future mental health resource development on safe and effective medication use for CALD mental health consumers.

Agency details

Organisation name:

Address:
Locked Bag 7118
Parramatta BC NSW 2150

Telephone:
02 9840 3333

Fax:
02 9840 3388

Emailaddress:

admin at mmha.org.au

Note: you will need to put the @ symbol in instead of at in the above.

Website:
http://www.mmha.org.au

Contact person

Name:
Meg Griffiths

Position:
National Program Manager

Telephone:
02 9840 3333

Target group(s)

Target group:
Carers, families and friends affected by mental illness, Consumers, Workforce

Topic area:
General Mental Health, Carer Issues, Consumer Issues, Treatment option, Medication

Available languages:
English

Geographical coverage:
National

Partners and funding)

Project partners:
Multicultural Mental Health Australia, Associate Professor Nicholas Procter (School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia), National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) and the Australian Mental Health Consumer Network (AMHCN). Collaborating organisations include NSW TMHC, Queensland TMHC, Western Australian TMHC and STTARS, South Australia.

Project funding sources:
Other

Timing

Start date:
Oct 2005

End date:
Oct 2006

Comments on project time-span:
The project will be reported at the ANZCMHN Conference, October 2006.

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