ABSTRACT
Depression and anxiety are mental health issues that disproportionately affect urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished women. Using community based participatory research and in the context of long-term partnerships between a nursing department and underserved neighborhoods that are predominately Black, Hispanic, and White respectively, supportive/educative groups were offered. The study employed a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent comparison group pretest-posttest design. Seventy-two women aged 17-88â¯years participated. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant increase in knowledge for self-care for depression and anxiety and a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptomatology from before to after the group sessions.
Subject(s)
Anxiety , Depression , Patient Education as Topic , Poverty , Self-Help Groups , Urban Population , Anxiety/ethnology , Anxiety/psychology , Community-Based Participatory Research , Depression/ethnology , Depression/psychology , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Middle Aged , Poverty/ethnology , Poverty/psychology , Residence CharacteristicsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The United States is ethnically diverse. This diversity presents challenges to nurses, who, without empirical evidence to design culturally congruent interventions, may contribute to mental health care disparities. OBJECTIVE: Using Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality, this study documented communication and interaction patterns of ethnically diverse, urban, impoverished, and underserved women. DESIGN: Using a community-based participatory research framework, 61 Black, Hispanic, and White women participated in focus groups around their experiences with anxiety/depression. Researchers recorded verbal communication, nonverbal behavior, and patterns of interaction. RESULTS: The women's communication and interaction patterns gave evidence of three themes that were evident across all focus groups and five subthemes that emerged along ethnic lines. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest cultural universalities and cultural uniquenesses relative to the communication and interaction patterns of urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished, and underserved women that may assist in the design of culturally sensitive mental health care.
Subject(s)
Communication , Culturally Competent Care/methods , Ethnicity/psychology , Nurse-Patient Relations , Psychiatric Nursing/methods , Urban Population , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Cultural Diversity , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Mental Health Services , Middle Aged , Poverty , United States , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Women/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Depression and anxiety are significant mental health issues that affect urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished women disproportionately. This study sought to identify social determinants of mental health and barriers to help-seeking for this population. Using community based participatory research and focus groups, sixty-one Black, Hispanic, and White women identified economic, family, cultural, and neighborhood issues as perceived determinants of their depression/anxiety. They identified practical, psychosocial, and cultural barriers to their help-seeking behavior. These results can promote women's health by fostering an understanding of social factors as perceived determinants of depression/anxiety and shaping practice and policy initiatives that foster positive aggregate outcomes.
Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/nursing , Anxiety Disorders/psychology , Community-Based Participatory Research/methods , Depressive Disorder/nursing , Depressive Disorder/psychology , Mental Health Services , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Social Determinants of Health , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Focus Groups , Health Services Accessibility , Humans , Middle Aged , Poverty/psychology , Risk Factors , Urban Population , Young AdultABSTRACT
Depression and anxiety are mental health issues that disproportionately affect women-particularly when access to culturally sensitive care is limited. The purpose of this study was to identify mental health concerns in three urban, ethnically diverse, underserved, and impoverished neighborhoods using the ideological perspective of community-based participatory research. In the context of long-term partnerships between a department of nursing and these neighborhoods, we recruited 61 women aged 18 to 69 years and collected data via homogeneous focus groups comprised of Black, Hispanic, and White women, respectively. We conducted five of the focus groups in English and one in Spanish. The women perceived anxiety and depression as significant concerns for themselves, their families, and their communities. They used unique community resources to manage mental health issues and desired new resources, including support groups and education.
Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/ethnology , Community Mental Health Services/supply & distribution , Cultural Competency , Depressive Disorder/ethnology , Women's Health/ethnology , Adolescent , Adult , Black or African American , Aged , Anxiety Disorders/economics , Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Community Mental Health Services/economics , Community-Based Participatory Research , Depressive Disorder/economics , Depressive Disorder/therapy , Female , Focus Groups , Hispanic or Latino , Humans , Middle Aged , Needs Assessment , Poverty Areas , Urban Health , White People , Women's Health/economics , Young AdultABSTRACT
Depression and anxiety are mental health issues that disproportionately affect women. This study sought to capture perceptions of anxiety and depression in 3 urban, ethnically diverse, underserved, and impoverished neighborhoods. Using community-based participatory research, in the context of long-term partnerships between a department of nursing and these neighborhoods, the researchers recruited 61 women aged 18 to 69 years. Data were collected via 6 homogeneous focus groups composed of Black, Hispanic, and White women, respectively. The women identified themes pertaining to the manifestations and effects of anxiety and depression as well as unique coping strategies.
