Scuglik Deborah L, Alarcon Renato D
Dr. Scuglik was from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, at the time of this study; Dr. Scuglik is now from the Department of Psychiatry, Affinity Health Systems, Appleton, Wisconsin.
Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2005 Aug;2(8):20-31.
This is the second phase of a study aimed at determining the cultural characteristics, psychiatric needs, acculturative stressors, and management approaches of immigrant Somali children's experience in the United States.
A 10-year demographics review of the Minnesota Departments of Human Services, and Children, Families, and Learning was completed. Data was obtained through unstructured interviews with educational staff, healthcare providers, and Somali children and their families in three communities, regarding cultural characteristics, barriers to care, perceptions of medical/psychiatric needs, and issues of acculturation. Health professionals/psychiatrists at a tertiary care center were also surveyed.
Identified acculturation issues of adolescent Somali immigrants included acculturative stress, racial discrimination, khat use, legal difficulties, language barriers, school opportunities, changes in family dynamics and developmental issues, clinical vulnerabilities, unique experiences of adolescent females, and development of new public/social behavior patterns.
Immigrant Somali adolescents are at high risk for mental health problems due to the unique challenges they face as they attempt to assimilate two very polar cultures into one self-identity during a phase of development characterized by physical, cognitive, and emotional upheaval. Current management experiences warrant recommendations that include integration of community services, schools, and the medical system to provide education in cultural diversity, multicultural school and community publications, team sports, individual education plans, support groups, and Somali representation in school staff that has established trust with families and acceptance of mental health issues and care.
这是一项研究的第二阶段，旨在确定索马里移民儿童在美国的文化特征、精神需求、文化适应压力源及管理方法。
完成了对明尼苏达州公共服务部以及儿童、家庭和学习部的10年人口统计回顾。通过与三个社区的教育工作人员、医疗服务提供者、索马里儿童及其家庭进行非结构化访谈，获取了有关文化特征、护理障碍、对医疗/精神需求的认知以及文化适应问题的数据。还对一家三级护理中心的卫生专业人员/精神科医生进行了调查。
已确定的索马里青少年移民的文化适应问题包括文化适应压力、种族歧视、恰特草使用、法律困难、语言障碍、学校机会、家庭动态变化和发育问题、临床易损性、青少年女性的独特经历以及新的公共/社会行为模式的形成。
索马里青少年移民面临着独特的挑战，即在一个以身体、认知和情感动荡为特征的发育阶段，试图将两种截然不同的文化融入一个自我身份认同中，因此他们有很高的心理健康问题风险。当前的管理经验表明，建议应包括整合社区服务、学校和医疗系统，以提供文化多样性教育、多元文化学校和社区出版物、团队运动、个别教育计划、支持小组，以及在已与家庭建立信任并接受心理健康问题及护理的学校工作人员中有索马里代表。
