Multicultural Issues in Neurogenic Disorders

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Summary

Most epileptic persons endure a double burden since they must deal with the disease’s everyday misunderstandings and stigma all at the same time. At the same time, they must deal with the symptoms and impairments. The article “Family stigma associated with epilepsy: A qualitative study” seeks to investigate what family members feel about the pain of epilepsy and how they cope with this sort of burden. Epilepsy is a relatively frequent neurological disorder that affects approximately 300 million people worldwide. It is associated with symptoms such as convulsion and loss of consciousness. In Europe, the prevalence of epilepsy is 0.52 percent in the United States, 0.68 percent in Europe, 1.8 percent in underdeveloped nations, and 1.5 percent (Amjad et al., 2017). Social acceptance of children with epilepsy is a source of concern. This condition, in particular, has been stigmatized and misunderstood. The article focuses on how family members confront their perceptions of the epileptic person’s difficulties and how it affects their social and familial life. The information gathered in this article can be used as a foundation to improve the way people perceive epilepsy.

The primary study question that the research is attempting to address is parents’ experiences with epileptic children. To collect the necessary data for this interpretative phenomenological study, in-depth semi-structured and face-to-face interviews were used. A purposive sampling strategy was utilized to collect data to guarantee that rich data was acquired. Van Manen’s approach was used to analyze the data. According to the findings, one of the study’s themes was familial stigma. Families with epilepsy tend to keep their children away from the public to prevent being mocked as a result of other people’s bad treatment.

If a person is aware that epilepsy cannot be solved but rather a sickness that has to be lived with, they will not blame the victim for having it. They will understand that the person cannot do much to control it, and therefore they can’t blame them for their difficulties or mishaps caused by their disorder. This has been a major problem for those with epilepsy, and it is something the article intends to change. There are three main types of epileptic attacks: partial, incomplete, and generalized seizures. The first two types present themselves as continuous seizures or attacks that last from a brief moment to 30 minutes. The third type extends over a long period and significantly impacts an individual’s daily life. Epilepsy is understood as a brain disorder; however, it is not limited only to the brain and can affect any part of the body over time. A person with epilepsy may experience a seizure several times. Still, some families have experienced no more than one episode of epilepsy in their lifetime, while others have seen many episodes in their child’s life.

The study “Influence of culture in obsessive-compulsive disorder and its treatment” analyzes obsessive-compulsive disorder as a distinct condition having a neurological foundation that may or may not vary based on multicultural diversity. According to Nicolini and Salin-Pascual, OCD may or may not vary among individuals and between cultures. However, the study found that, in general, cultural-related factors are essential in the manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) traits. The article also emphasizes that cultural factors are essential in treating OCD since it is more effective when a patient’s culture is considered. The study examined two subcultures: Caucasian and Spanish. It focused on how family and cultural values related to the patient’s environment affect their OCD symptoms and treatment outcome. The primary study question that the research is attempting to address is the perception of OCD. To collect the necessary data for this interpretative phenomenological study, in-depth semi-structured and face-to-face interviews were used. A purposive sampling strategy was utilized to collect data to guarantee that rich data was acquired. A systematic method was used to analyze the data whereby they grouped those findings with related concepts that had some cultural influence on the manifestation of OCD. The study found that Caucasian families were more accepting of the patient’s condition and believed that he or she had a relapse due to laboratory stress rather than obsessive thoughts related to the disorder. However, Spanish families tend to see things differently than Caucasian families. They believe that OCD is linked with contamination rather than contamination because of intrusive thoughts being controlled by generalization (Nicolini et al., 2017).

According to Ellis, “Does race/ethnicity really matter in adult neurogenic?” article explores the issue of neurogenic disorders in adults, which mainly affects whites. The author defines neurogenic disorders as impairments related to the brain associated with a sensory, behavioral, or intellectual deficit that cannot be attributed to another epidermal or systemic disease. Though neurogenic disorders affect mostly Caucasians, neurogenic pathologies are incredibly diverse in their presentation and are based on age and racial/ethnic background. The main study question that the researchers are trying to answer is on the presentation of neurogenic disorders in adults. Semi-structured interviews, face-to-face interviews, and focus groups were used to collect the necessary data for this interpretative phenomenological study. A purposive sampling strategy was utilized to collect data to guarantee that rich data was acquired. A combined format approach was used to analyze the data. The study found that, in general, people presented with neurogenic disorders are generally viewed as being confused or senile individuals, and they are not given a chance to be appropriately diagnosed and treated correctly. The research determined a signature in how individuals with such conditions are dealt with (Ellis, 2009).

The article “Speech pathologists and professional interpreters managing culturally and linguistically diverse adults with communication disorders” aims to investigate the experiences of persons with speech and language disorders who are seeking health care services. It focuses on socio-psychological barriers for speech, language, and swallowing pathologists within the communication sciences, especially concerning healthcare professionals belonging to minority populations. The main study question that the researchers are trying to answer is the effects of culture on provider behavior. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the necessary data for this interpretative phenomenological study. In contrast, face-to-face interviews were used to gain more in-depth information about their experiences with the clients. A purposive sampling strategy was utilized to collect data. The method used to collect data was systematic and purposive. According to the findings, most pathologists felt that their experiences with the patients were positive and neutral. Still, there was a need for more minority professional interpreters to help them deal with their cases (Huang et al., 2019).

Critical thinking

My general thoughts regarding this study are that multicultural Issues in neurogenic disorder treatment involve a patient’s culture. I found that the different types of patients with neurogenic disorders reflect the differences in their cultures. The majority of Caucasians with neurogenic disorders are diagnosed as being in an early stage. I feel that Hispanic patients are treated differently compared to their Caucasian counterparts as they are considered in a later stage. Furthermore, I noticed that some of the symptoms are also associated with their cultures. For example, related to contamination is associated with Hispanic and Chinese people.

However, contamination may not be related to both groups because some believe it is from the patient’s family beliefs, which have a history of Chinese and Hispanic ancestors. Furthermore, I found that why people believe something depends on what country they came from or even if they were Asian or Hispanic when they were born. This study has proved that interacting with other people from different cultures can help for a better view of how the treatment should be done for someone who has a neurogenic disorder, such as OCD. I also noticed that some of the patients misinterpreted their symptoms and started to think that the disorder was not related to their culture; therefore, they started trying to change their behavior, from cultural rituals to restaurant etiquette.

In conclusion, this study found that different disorders have different symptoms and causes based on ethnicity and culture. Therefore, it is essential for professionals working in healthcare settings to know these different cultures and languages, so they do not dismiss a patient’s symptoms. It can be cured easily with medication.

References

Amjad, R. N., Nasrabadi, A. N., & Navab, E. (2017). The family stigma associated with epilepsy: a qualitative study. Journal of caring sciences, 6(1), 59.

Ellis, C. (2009). Does race/ethnicity really matter in adult neurogenics?

Huang, A. J., Siyambalapitiya, S., & Cornwell, P. (2019). Speech pathologists and professional interpreters managing culturally and linguistically diverse adults with communication disorders: a systematic review. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(5), 689-704.

Nicolini, H., Salin-Pascual, R., Cabrera, B., & Lanzagorta, N. (2017). Influence of culture in obsessive-compulsive disorder and its treatment. Current psychiatry reviews, 13(4), 285-292.