TRENDS IN SOCIETYTopic 2

CONTEMPORARY CHANGES IN THE FAMILY

Married couple living with two or more children no longer the norm.

IMPACT ON CP

Families have unique needs & concerns

CP must be sensitive to the issues associated the contemporary family.

MULTICULTURAL & DIVERSITY ISSUES

Of the 281 million Americans in the US, there are about 36 million African American, 36 million Latino Americano, and 13 million Asian Americans.

IMPACT ON CP

Greater insight on the role of culture & diversity in the development of behavior & behavioral problems

CONT’D

Urge for psychologists to become familiar with indigenous beliefs & practice & respect them.

A sociocultural framework is encouraged; consider diversity of values, interactional styles, & cultural expectations in a systematic fashion

CONT’D

Apply culturally appropriate skills & other applied psychological practices

Graduate programs now require coursework on multicultural issues

CONT’D

Social factors such as ethnicity & culture are now highlighted as critical factors to consider & integrate in CP

Symptoms occur in the context of culture & thus culture has to be understood to understand & treat problems

CONT’DHas led to the development of new strategies & methods for helping those with emotional & behavioral concerns among these groups

Generalizing assessment & treatment, or research strategies to all ethnic or minority groups is inappropriate

CONT’DAcculturation & assimilation factors as well as unique individual differences must be taken into consideration when working with members of diverse groups

More minority representatives is needed within the field of Psychology to provide better service to minority group members

ADVANCES IN SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGY, & MEDICINE

Development of Prozac to treat depression

Efforts to find the “fat gene” & other beh-related genes

Ritalin to treat attention deficit disorder

Zoloft & Paxil to treat psychosis

CONT’D

Biology is at the root of most human behavior

But, obesity & ADHD researches are still supported by biopsychosocial perspective

IMPACT:

Increased emphasis on biological interventions

Less emphasis on psychosocial interventions

Diminished adherence to biopsychosocial framework

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES

Computer technology, fax machines, cellular phones, video, electronic mail, & virtual reality

IMPACT

Maintaining confidentiality is an issue

Use of internet & telephone to conduct therapy & psychological consultation

CONT’D

Virtual reality used to treat anxiety * other related psychological disorders

Ease of accessing the web can help psychologists maintain state-of-the-art services & use these sites to help their patients

MONEY

Impact:

Fewer jobs for psychologistsAbility to conduct quality psychological researches is diminished

Fewer clinical services in many settings

CONT’D

More debts among clinical psychology students

Modest starting salaries in combination with larger educational debts can lead to a higher degree of stress for new psycholgists

GENDER SHIFTS IN PROFESSIONS

Impact:

+ trend resulting in more professional sensitivity to women’s issues

Adds new perspective & approaches to the field

CONT’Dallows more choice for those seeking psychological services as well as role models for students interested in the field

Devaluation in status of the psychology as a profession

Lower salaries

READING ACTIVITYWhat is the demographic profile of Asian Americans in the US?

What started the presence of Asian Americans in the US?

How did the US reacted to the immigration of Asian Americans?

CONT’D

What are the core cultural values prominent among Asian Americans?

What are the impacts of these values in their acculturation process?

CONT’D

Given the values & culture that Asian Americans have, what psychological problems are they predisposed to have and how do they access mental health services?

CONT’DWhat are the factors considered in assessing Asian Americans?

What approaches would be appropriate to Asian Americans?

How can Asian Americans make the most out of treatments given to them?

CONT’D

What major ideas were discussed in the article?

What insights did you get from the article?

Any implications on the clinical psychology practice?