America has a great diversity in terms of culture; this is due to different ethnic and racial communities living in the United States. The same also applies to Washington Dc, a city that is made up of diverse racial communities. For every research or an assessment, the demographics of the target population or certain geographical area play a very vital role in determining the data collection and assessment methods. For this cultural mental health assessment, we shall therefore first analyze the demographics of Washington DC, northwest area.
According to the U.S Census which was carried out in the year 2010, Washington DC’s total population was approximately 601,723. Compared to another census that was carried out in the year 2000, it is estimated that there has been an increase of about 5%. The population is made up of more females than males; females make up approximately 53% while the remaining 47% is males (DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, 2011). A greater part of the population of Washington DC comprises of African-Americans, approximated to be 51%, while the rest are White and Asian at 39% and 4% respectively. Other communities found in Washington Dc considered to be minority are the Alaska native and Pacific Islander.
In terms of age, roughly a third of Washington Dc’s population is youth, with approximately 21% being 19 years old and below (Morello, Keating and Hendrix, 2011). It is also estimated that young people aged between 20 and 34 years have increased significantly by 54% between the year 200 and 2010 in Washington DC Northwest area (Chang, Tucker, and Goldstein, 2013). This increase in population of young people is attributed mainly to youth moving in search of jobs.
Few youths born between 1981 and 1996 in Washington DC admit that religion is imperative in their lives. However, according to a research by The Pew Research Center, a majority of them are skeptical about religious conviction. The percentage of the youth who believe in God, pray and regularly attend church service is lower compared to that of adults (Gjelten, 2015).
In terms of language, according to a survey carried out by the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) in 2009, youth who were enrolled in their schools was characterized by a total of 107 diverse home languages. The percentage of the students considered being linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) is approximately 16%. This population mainly consists of Hispanics made of approximately 70%, while Blacks, Asians and White account for the remaining 30% (DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, 2011). As of the year 2010, most students in the District of Columbia Public Schools were of Spanish, Chinese, French, Arabic and English languages (DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, 2011).
Based on health and nutrition, most youth in Washington DC who are basically high school and college students have a poor nutrition as indicated by the high number suffering from obesity. This is mainly caused by poor eating habits and lack physical activity (DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, 2011). Obesity is known to cause low-self esteem among and affect the mental wellbeing of a person hence affecting the academic performance of a student. To enhance nutrition in Washington Dc, students who come from lower-income families are availed with free or cheap meals through a program funded by the federal government popularly known as the National School Lunch Program (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011)
In terms of literacy and education, Washington DC has in the recent past years between 2000 and 2009 continued to attain high educational levels which has been enabled by improved public schooling structure. According to Justice Policy Institute, in 2009, the numbers of youth in Washington DC who had a high school diploma qualification or higher had increased by around 9.3% while those who had a bachelor’s degree or higher increased by 9.4% (Justice Policy Institute, 2016). According to DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (2011), most of the students enrolled in various Washington DC public schools were African American. This therefore implies that a majority of Washington DC youth is literate and has higher education qualifications.
The assessment of the Health beliefs of the target population will focus on the beliefs of African-Americans since it comprises the majority of the target population. There is a great disparity in how African Americans view health and illness compared to other racial groups in the United States, this disparity is mainly attributed to the fact that African Americans have knowledge and history of dehumanization. Many African Americans in Washington therefore still believe that they are inferior on matters health hence do not seek healthcare services from mainstream health care delivery when they fall sick. This is mainly because of the suspicion that many African Americans have on clinicians.
The interaction of this mental health assessment target population with the mainstream health care delivery system is becoming more and more conscious; they normally go for health checkups and treatments. The only barrier to their treatments is health literacy that varies depending on the generation. A majority of youth in Washington DC are affected by mental health illness, accounting for about 14% of the patients admitted in hospitals. Most of such mental health problems are depression and suicide attempts. Other aspects associated with mental illness are cultural beliefs and age-related issues. This population mainly made of African Americans uses social support networks to support and manage mental illness. They also seek treatments from mainstream healthcare facilities (DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, 2011). Moreover, many African Americans have a very strong religious connection towards Christianity and Islam, thus, the population often utilizes cultural practices such as prayer as coping mechanisms for mental illness as well as other health-related practices (Carteret, 2011).
For nursing diagnosis, interventions and plans for health planning and health promotion, it is important to for the nurse to understand the cultural beliefs and practices of the patient. This will enable the nurse to build a relationship with the patient hence leading to effective communication between the healthcare provider and patient. Moreover, to promote healthcare among the youth in Washington Dc, emphasis should be focused on educating youth on the need of not only relying on prayers and cultural practices but also should seek mainstream healthcare services.
Conclusively, to ensure the success of health planning and health promotion, all the stakeholders i.e. the patients, healthcare providers, community leaders of the African Americans and also policy makers in healthcare system must put their collective efforts together so as to overcome the existing disparities in health care for African Americans.
References
Carteret, M. (2011). Health Care for African American Patients/Families. Retrieved from http://www.dimensionsofculture.com/2011/05/health-care-for-african-american-patientsfamilies/
Chang, E., Tucker, N., & Goldstein, J. (2013, October 18). Millennials in Washington, D.C. | The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2013/10/18/march-of-the-millennials/
DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation December. (2011). Needs and Assets Assessment of Washington, DC Youth. Retrieved from http://dctrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Needs-Assessment.pdf
Gjelten, T. (2015, November 3). Poll Finds Americans, Especially Millennials, Moving Away From Religion : The Two-Way : NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/03/454063182/poll-finds-americans-especially-millennials-moving-away-from-religion
Justice Policy Institute. (2016). THE EDUCATION OF D.C.: How Washington D.C.’s investments in education can help increase public safety. Retrieved from http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/education_of_dc_-_final.pdf
Morello, C., Keating, D., & Hendrix, S. (2011, May 5). Census: Young adults are responsible for most of D.C.’s growth in past decade - The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/census-young-adults-are-responsible-for-most-of-dcs-growth-in-past-decade/2011/05/04/AFJz5LtF_story.html
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2011, November). Washington, D.C., Schools Provide Nutritious Meals After School | Healthy Kids Healthy Communities. Retrieved from http://www.healthykidshealthycommunities.org/washington-dc-schools-provide-nutritious-meals-after-school
