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Cultural diversity in adolescent health care
Author(s) -
Bennett David L,
Chown Peter,
Kang Melissa SL
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb07113.x
Subject(s) - cultural diversity , empathy , multiculturalism , ethnic group , diversity (politics) , cultural competence , health care , psychology , cultural sensitivity , social psychology , developmental psychology , sociology , political science , pedagogy , anthropology , law , psychotherapist
In Australia, where about 16% of young people are born overseas and 24% are from a non‐English‐speaking background, adolescent health care is a multicultural challenge. “Cultural competency” involves challenging one's own cultural assumptions and beliefs, developing empathy for people from other cultures, and applying specific communication and interaction skills in clinical encounters. For health professionals, sensitivity to the cultural, ethnic, linguistic and social diversity among young people helps to avert problems and misunderstandings, improves satisfaction for all concerned and leads to better outcomes. Engaging the family and gaining the trust of parents is critical in treating young people from cultural backgrounds in which participation in health care is a family concern rather than an individual responsibility.