iv TPC Digest Shainna Ali, John J. S. Harrichand, M. Ann Shillingford, Lea Herbert A Qualitative Investigation of Guyanese American Perceptions of Mental Health T his article explores the lived experiences of 30 Guyanese American individuals to understand their perceptions of mental health. The authors discuss how these perceptions affect the lived experiences of the participants and present recommendations for counselors and counselor educators assisting Guyanese Americans in cultivating mental wellness. Guyana has the highest rate of suicide in the Western Hemisphere. Despite this, there is a gap in the literature regarding exploring mental wellness in this diaspora. For this reason, more information is needed on Guyanese mental health and suicide reduction. A review of the literature on Guyanese mental health, suicide prevention, and suicide protective factors revealed a limited number of studies. Although the country currently has a few mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs to address suicide risks, there are many issues of incongruence in the awareness of mental health in the West and the Caribbean, as well as few studies examining Guyanese American populations. Data collection for this remote qualitative research occurred in February 2021, amidst COVID-19. A central aspect of the study was the transition of mental health awareness and accessibility. Specifically, the study found that the initial perceptions of all participants included viewing mental health as a taboo topic and the seeking of mental health services as negative. Not surprisingly, these perceptions stemmed from fear, mistrust, and limited awareness of the benefits of mental health services. Cultural and familial influences also affected individual perceptions of mental health. The stigma associated with mental health remains a common experience for Guyanese Americans, and when coupled with limited communication, insufficient funding, and lack of providers, Guyanese individuals hold negative views of mental health, which significantly impacts their help-seeking. The results lend themselves to mental well-being implications for counseling practice. In this study, personal resources such as motivation to grow and learn, self-awareness, and determination, as well as external resources such as community services, education, and social media, enabled participants to augment their negative abstractions of mental health care. Resources related to access, such as counselors available at schools, insurance coverage, social media, and positive narratives of mental health from acquaintances, were encouraging to the participants and thus contributed to the shift in perception. The results highlight how Guyanese Americans should be provided with mental health experiences to enable them to recognize and act upon the benefits of mental health services. Based on the findings from this study, counselors should focus on three key strategies to support Guyanese American clients: (a) mental health awareness, (b) mental health education, and (c) mental health experience. Counselors and counselor educators can be instrumental in offering mental health education to Guyanese Americans. Counselors can apply these findings by facilitating mental health education that reflects the clients’ culture and may demonstrate an appreciation of the cultural relevance of the clients’ narratives while incorporating the family and community, such as faith-based and other organizations. Results empower counselors to be mindful of the collectivistic nature of Guyanese American culture, which causes personal and familial illnesses alike to be perceived as personal problems. Finally, the findings provide a rationale for mental health counselors, school counselors, and counselor educators to inspire dialogue to foster mental wellness. Shainna Ali, PhD, NCC, ACS, LMHC, is the owner of Integrated Counseling Solutions. John J. S. Harrichand, PhD, NCC, ACS, CCMHC, CCTP, LMHC, LPC-S, is an assistant professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio. M. Ann Shillingford, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida. Lea Herbert is a doctoral student at the University of Central Florida. Correspondence may be addressed to Shainna Ali, 3222 Corrine Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, hello@drshainna.com.
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