Centre for Policy on Ageing



Appreciating background and culture — the South Asian elderly and mental health
Author(s)	G Rait, A Burns
Journal title	International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 12, no 10, October 1997
Pages	pp 973-977
Keywords	Asian people ; Mental disorder ; Dementia ; Depression.
Annotation	In the next decade, there will be an increase in the number of older people in the UK from a South Asian background: from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. All too often, minority ethnic groups are treated as homogenous, leading to inappropriate generalisations, unmet need, and unsuitable treatment and management. In order to understand and manage a person's illness, it is necessary to appreciate the effects of their culture, experiences and environment. The South Asian community is well established in the UK, and the attitudes of the growing older population towards mental illness, their expressions of distress, and views on management and treatment are only now being canvassed. Awareness of these issues is essential before epidemiological studies of depression and dementia, and use of health services by this group will provide beneficial results. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-981001203 A
Classmark	TKK: E: EA: ENR
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.