Christina A. Downey - Böcker

Positive psychology has become a vibrant, well-regarded field of study, and a powerful tool for clinicians. But, for many years, the research in areas relevant to positive psychology, such as happiness, subjective well-being, and emotional intelligence, has been based on findings from largely white samples and has rarely taken the concerns of the ethnic community into consideration.Now, for the first time, leaders in the field have come together to provide a comprehensive reference that focuses specifically on how a culturally-informed approach to positive psychology can help capitalize on the strengths of racial minority groups and have a greater potential to positively impact their psychological well-being.Acting as a bridge between positive psychology theory and research amp ndash largely based on an essentialist view of human behavior amp ndash and the realities of practice and assessment in diverse groups, Positive Psychology in Racial and Ethnic Groups focuses on four main ethnic groups: Asian Americans, Latin Americans, African Americans, and American Indians.

Depression, anxiety, and stress are responsible for an overwhelming number of mental health care visits, and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) offers the most popular, empirically supported approach to treating these conditions. Yet little is known about the effectiveness of CBT with African American, Latino, Asian American, and Native American populations amp ndash ethnic and racial groups that make up nearly half the population of the United States.  This volume shows therapists how to adapt cognitive behavioral treatments for use with racial and ethnic minority clients.  Contributors demonstrate how a client amp rsquo s particular sociocultural background contextualizes her experience and understanding of mental health issues.  They examine the influence of sociocultural context on experiences of social anxiety among Asian-Americans, the role of racial identity in the way stress and anxiety are experienced by African-American clients, and much more. They propose adaptations of standard CBT treatments to maximize their effectiveness for all clients, regardless of race or ethnicity.

This book examines substance use disorders among individuals and communities of color and offers assessment, treatment, and prevention strategies for supporting and empowering individuals within their cultural contexts.  It explores the unique histories and substance use trends within Black/African American, Latino/Latina/Latinx/Hispanic, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native communities. This includes the role of intergenerational trauma and the enduring impacts of colonialism, slavery, and systemic oppression, as well modern injustices and inequities in mental health and medical treatment, criminal justice, and other institutions.  Expert contributors draw upon their extensive experiences working in these communities to establish evidence-based recommendations for culturally competent care. They explore common challenges with assessment and treatment, including the limitations of established models that fail to properly account for cultural factors. They offer culturally bound solutions that enable mental health professionals to better help individuals and communities while respecting their unique intersectional identities and values.

This project is unique in the field for a number of reasons, both in structure and in content. Specifically, it will have leading experts on specific age groups (Childhood to Adolescence, Young Adulthood to Middle Age, and The Elderly) within the cultural groups of interest (European-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans) contribute a chapter covering current research on both positive and negative functioning for each population. Each chapter will present basic demographic information, strengths that contribute to resilience, and three significant challenges each group faces to maintaining mental health. Each chapter will then include an integrative section, where ideas are advanced about how the strengths of each group can be harnessed to address the challenges that group faces. To conclude, each chapter will propose future directions for research which addresses integrative approaches to mental health for each group, and the implications that such approaches could have for future treatment. The main points of each section of each chapter will be visually summarized in a concluding table.