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Cultural Considerations for Psychologists in Primary Care

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Abstract

Many health concerns in the United States (e.g., diabetes) are routinely managed in primary care settings. Regardless of the medical condition, patients’ health is directly influenced by factors such as healthcare providers and cultural background. Training related to how behaviors influence health, coupled with training on how cultural diversity intersects with mental health, allows psychologists to have the relevant expertise to assist in the development of primary care behavioral health interventions. However, many psychologists in primary care struggle with how to integrate a culture-centered paradigm into their roles as behavioral health providers. This paper provides an introduction on how three culture-centered concepts (providers’ cultural sensitivity, patient–provider cultural congruency, and patients’ health literacy) can be applied in primary care using the Five A’s Organizational Construct and a model of cultural competence. In addition, the paper includes a section on integration of cultural considerations into consultation and training and concludes with a discussion of how the three culture-centered concepts have implications for health equity.

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Acknowledgements

Jessica Jackson acknowledges the New Mexico State University RISE program (NIH NIGMS Grant R25GM061222) which supported her contribution to this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Adeya Richmond

  2. Department of Counseling & Educational Psychology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA

    Jessica Jackson

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  1. Adeya Richmond
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Correspondence to Adeya Richmond.

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The authors Adeya Richmond and Jessica Jackson declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Richmond, A., Jackson, J. Cultural Considerations for Psychologists in Primary Care. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 25, 305–315 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-018-9546-y

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