This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Al-Krenawi, A. Articles by Kandah, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Al-Krenawi, A. Articles by Kandah, J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Ethnic and Gender Differences in Mental Health Utilization: the Case of Muslim Jordanian and Moroccan Jewish Israeli Out-Patient Psychiatric Patients

University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel

John R. Graham

University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary Alberta, Canada

Menachim Ophir

Director of Community Mental Health Center, 5 Struma Street, Ashdod, Israel

Jamil Kandah

Mental Health Clinic, King Housin Street, P.O.B. 5092, Zarka, Jordan

A sample of 148 (87 Jordanian [61 male, 26 female] and 61 Israeli [26 male, 35 female]) was selected from a psychiatric clinic in Ashdod Israel and Zarka Jordan, using convenience sampling methodology over a 12 month period in late 1997 and early 1998. A revised Hopkins Symptom Checklist: A Self-Report Symptom Inventory (HSCL) was translated into Arabic and Hebrew and distributed to subjects; additional questions explored demographic characteristics, forms of received treatment, patient perceptions of treatment efficacy, patient use of traditional healers, and patient explanation of etiology. Data revealed that there were differences in dimensions between the 2 groups based on nationality and gender. More Jordanians than Israelis expected medications as the main treatment, and unlike Israelis, no Jordanian patients received individual psycho therapy. Israeiis expected medications, advice, directions, and instructions from psychiatrists. Both ethnic groups consulted a wide array of traditional healers, although precise types of healers varied according to gender and ethnicity. Israeli subjects gave more diverse explanations of mental health etiologies: physical, family, divorce, economic, unernploynlent; whereas Jordanians tended to emphasize divine and spiritual sources. implications for psychiatric practice are discussed.

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 47, No. 3, 42-54 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/002076400104700305


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?