Multicultural Understanding of Child and Adolescent Psychopathology : Implications for Mental Health Assessment

Around the world, many immigrant and minority children are immersed in mental health, social welfare, and educational systems that are ill equipped to evaluate and help them. This important volume synthesizes an array of international findings to broaden the knowledge base on cultural variations in children's emotional and behavioral problems. Drawing on both empirically based and diagnostically based approaches, the authors examine similarities and differences in the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of particular disorders. They distinguish between culture-specific and more general problems in adaptation, identify instruments and procedures that are particularly suited to multicultural assessment, and discuss the implications for developing more effective services. (20110325) "The volume explores multicultural aspects of psychopathology from two major perspectives : empirically based and diagnostically based approaches. Assessment instruments used within each approach are thoroughly described, and international findings are reviewed and compared. Providing the most systematic examination to date of similarities and differences between cultures in the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of the problems reported for children, the authors analyze what the data reveal about general and culture-specific processes in psychopathology. They address methodological challenges, suggest ways that assessment may need to be adapted to the realities of different cultural contexts, and highlight evidence-based instruments and procedures that are particularly suited to multicultural applications. With an eye toward prevention and treatment, the book discusses specific contributions that multicultural research can make to identifying children and families at risk and developing effective clinical services."--Résumé de l'éditeur "The volume explores multicultural aspects of psychopathology from two major perspectives: empirically based and diagnostically based approaches. Assessment instruments used within each approach are thoroughly described, and international findings are reviewed and compared. Providing the most systematic examination m date of similarities and differences between cultures in the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of the problems reported for children, the authors analyze what the data reveal about general and culture-specific processes in psychopathology. They address methodological challenges, suggest ways that assessment may need to be adapted to the realities of different cultural contexts, and highlight evidence-based instruments and procedures that are particularly suited to multicultural applications. With an eye toward prevention and treatment, the book discusses specific contributions that multicultural research can make to identifying children and families at risk and developing effective clinical services."--Jacket

Around the world, many immigrant and minority children are immersed in mental health, social welfare, and educational systems that are ill equipped to evaluate and help them. This important volume synthesizes an array of international findings to broaden the knowledge base on cultural variations in children's emotional and behavioral problems. Drawing on both empirically based and diagnostically based approaches, the authors examine similarities and differences in the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of particular disorders. They distinguish between culture-specific and more general problems in adaptation, identify instruments and procedures that are particularly suited to multicultural assessment, and discuss the implications for developing more effective services.