Mental Health Nursing: Transcultural Care and Mental Health

This article discusses the cultural health of the GLBTI community in Australia and the implications for mental health care planning. It explores the health care beliefs followed by this community and the limitations in implementing care for them. The article also provides an overview of the population and their characteristics. The GLBTI culture refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. The article concludes by highlighting the need for proper and effective health care services for the GLBTI community.

Mental health nursing: transcultural
care and mental health
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Definition.....................................................................................................................................3
Overview of population...............................................................................................................3
Health care beliefs.......................................................................................................................4
Implication for care planning.......................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
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INTRODUCTION
For people it is necessary to maintain their mental health along with physical health. It is
because mental health is related to mind and brain. It states mental ability of person and how he
is able to understand things. However, mental health of people differs in culture as they follow
various beliefs and ethics. Also, it is influenced by certain health beliefs as well. Mental illness is
becoming a concern for people in recent times. It has highly affected on their physical health as
well. Stress, depression, etc. are some causes of mental illness. (Barker, 2017)
In this assessment it will be described about cultural health of GLBTI community in Australia.
Besides that, it will be discussed on health care beliefs followed by them and limitation to
implement care for this community (Foster et.al., 2019).
Definition
LGBT- GLBTI culture refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
Health care beliefs - it states that what people think about their health. It means that what
constitute their health, causes of illness, etc. these beliefs are laid down in culture.
Mental health – the level of psychological well being or state of emotional and behaviour well
being of person (Cleary et.al, 2016).
Overview of population
Australia is multi cultural society where people of various community and society lives. They
follow different values and ethics. Along with it, the culture is diversified into various states
and territory. This has led to building of community in different regions. However, it is identified
that mental health is depicted from ethics and beliefs which is followed. They vary from culture
to culture and highly influence on mental health. Besides that, it shapes the perception and
thinking level of people which is reflected by their mental health. In similar way, GLBTI
culture refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (Foster, , Roche & Furness, 2019) . This
culture came into existence in mid 1980. It is represented with an umbrella form of flag or sign.
The community represents a sense of diversity sexuality and gender identity based culture. it
has been analysed that Australia is most friendly nation of this culture. this is because here
around 79% of people said that homosexuality must be accepted by society. In addition,
Sydney is most friendly city for gay people. The community is spread within all over nation
and they are being given equal rights by Australian government. Moreover, people have also
accepted this culture within society (Happell et.al., 2019). They have become friendly with all
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GLBTI people. Furthermore, it is evaluated that there are certain characteristics of this culture
are as follows :
Lesbian – it refers to a women who is attracted towards another women. Basically, the attraction
is in terms of either physical, romantic or emotions. They are identified as gay lesbian.
Gay – here, the people who are attracted towards other people of same sex. In this the attraction
is in terms of either physical, romantic or emotions. They are identified as gay.
Bisexual – the person who is having capacity to have attraction in terms of either physical,
romantic or emotions of same or another sex or gender people. These people does not require
to have sexual desires or experience in order to be bisexual. Similarly, to be identified as
bisexual the sex experience is not required as well for it (Holmberg, Caro, & Sobis, 2018).
Transgender- it refers to people which sex is different from what they are linked with gender.
This typically occurs due to change in hormones which changes alignment of body and their
identity. However, some people change gender by doing surgery.
In Australia the demographics off this culture is that as per 2014, 3 % of adult population
belong to this community. It means that 268000 people as lesbian and 268000 as bisexual.
Besides, in 2011 same sex people were 0.7 % that increased to 0.9 % in 2016. However, in 2016
in capital same sex people were 1.4 % but only 2.6% lives in capital territory. Likewise 1 %
people lived in NSW or Victoria and 0.88 % in north and 1.8 % in Tasmania (Cheng, 2016). In
Australia it is identified that aboriginal and torres strait islander are more prone to belong to this
culture. In that 1.2 % were same sex and 0.9 % of non islander were of same sex. In terms of
religion it is stated that 57 % of GLBTI community did not follow any religion, 32 %
followed Christianity, 3.9 % Buddhism, 0.7 % Islam and 0.5 % Hinduism (Santangelo, Procter,
& Fassett, 2018).
Health care beliefs
In every culture people follow certain values and ethics that is based on beliefs. The health care
beliefs are those which state that what people think about their health. It means that what
constitute their health, causes of illness, etc. these beliefs are laid down in culture. so, it culture
highly influence health care beliefs. Similarly, for GLBTI community as well their mental health
is highly influenced due to health care beliefs (Russo et.al., 2018). It can be stated that due to
gender identity disorder the beliefs of GLBTI people revolve around it. They think that there is
disparity among them due to which they are in stress. So, their mental health is highly
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influenced due to it. Other than this, people think that they are having difference from other
people. Hence, their belief is developed in this way. In addition, their children mental health is
also influenced due to culture beliefs. As they are born and grown up in that environment so
their perception remains same as they have to follow those beliefs. Their mentality is developed
in that way that restricts them to get mental care services.
However, it is identified that there is share meaning of mental illness. The people culture
beliefs and ethics in influenced due to culture. besides that, when a person belong to particular
culture his mental health is developed according to beliefs of that. Likewise, for community
their health beliefs revolve around gender disorder. So, they follow different ethics and values.
In Australia they usually belong to islander community whose health belief are completely
different as they live in back ward areas (Slemon, Jenkins, & Bungay, 2017). Moreover, as
primary care services does not reach that area so they are not aware about it. Also, as they
belong to same group thus they share same meaning of mental illness.
Yes, it is stated that GLBTI is paternalistic community. The people thinks of their own
good health rather than of other. Moreover, behavior express attitude of superiority in society.
Thus, they are not concerned about normal people health (Mutsatsa, 2016).
Implication for care planning
It is necessary to provide proper and effective health care services to GLBTI people. This will be
useful in improving their mental health and changing their perception towards illness.
Furthermore, for that there is need to develop and implement a care plan. But it is found that
there are several factors due to which care plan can not be implemented (Townsend, & Morgan,
2017). Even if care plan is developed the factors directly impact on it. Here, main factor is health
beliefs which limit this. People think that their mental health is influenced due to gender
disorder. Thus, due to it they do not want to access those services. Besides that, beliefs set in
it are from common group of people that reflect their identity. Also, beliefs can not be changed
as they are based on social ethics and values. Thus due to beliefs care implication can not be
implemented in effective way (Bressington et.al. 2018).
Another factor is environment or society in which they live. Here, due to surrounding their
perception developed restrict them to provide them care planning. They live in such harsh
conditions and already they have faced discrimination from society. Thus, it has made their
mental state to adopt those changes in it. As most people belong to aboriginal and torres strait
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islander so they do not get primary health care facilities. Besides that, they are unaware about
those health services as well (Yong-Shian, Selvarajan, & Yobas, 2016).
Thus, due to these factors care planning can not be properly implemented. It will not
provide effective outcomes and offer health services to people. In order to do so there needs to
create awareness within culture so that people can access care services easily.
CONCLUSION
Thus, it is summarized that GLBTI culture refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
This culture came into existence in mid 1980. there are certain characteristics of this culture that
are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. In Australia as per 2014, 3 % of adult population
belong to this culture that is 268000 people as lesbian and 268000 as bisexual. The people
culture beliefs and ethics in influenced due to culture. similarly, GLBTI health beliefs are
influence due to gender disorder. Moreover, there are certain limitation in implementing of care
planning of mental health such as culture beliefs and environment factors in which these
people live. There is share meaning of mental illness and GLBTI is paternalistic community.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
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Cheng, F. K. (2016). Is meditation conducive to mental well-being for adolescents? An
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health nursing. Issues in mental health nursing, 37(9), 692-694.
Foster, K., Roche, M. & Furness, T. (2019). Resilience and mental health nursing: An integrative
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