Led by a UCLA-trained health psychologist, a team of experts describes non-traditional treatments that are quickly becoming more common in Western society, documenting cultural variations in health and sickness practices to underscore the diversity among human society.
This unique two-volume set describes the variety of cultural approaches to health practiced by people of varying cultural heritages and places them in stark context with traditional Western approaches to health care and medicine. Examining health practices such as Ayurveda, an ancient system of medicine that focuses on the body, the sense organs, the mind, and the soul; and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the author examines why these different approaches can explain some of the cultural variations in health behaviors, differences in why people get sick, and how they cope with illness. Traditional health care providers of all kinds-including clinicians, counselors, doctors, nurses, and social workers-will all greatly benefit by learning about vastly different approaches to health, while general readers and scholars alike will gain insight into the rich diversity of world culture and find the material fascinating.

Regan A. R. Gurung, PhD, is Ben J. and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Human Development and Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. He is the author/editor of 9 other books and has published over 90 peer-reviewed publications.

Chapter One Understanding International Perspectives: Implications for U.S. Health and Wellness
P. S. D. V. Prasadarao
Chapter Two Mental Health Assessment among Ethnic Minorities in the United States
Sussie Eshun and Donna Hodge
Chapter Three The Mental Health of Latina/os: A Cultural Focus
Rocío Rosales Meza and Leticia Arellano-Morales
Chapter Four Stress and Culture
Angela R. Wendorf, Amanda M. Brouwer, and Katie E. Mosack
Chapter Five Mood and Anxiety Disorders across Ethnic Minority Groups in the United States
Sussie Eshun
Chapter Six Religion and Health: Ideological Contexts and Their Influences on Health-Associated Behaviors
Dean D. VonDras
Chapter Seven Islamic Healing Approaches, Beliefs, and Health-related Behaviors
Sujata R. Swaroop, Chanté D. DeLoach, and Fyeqa Sheikh
Chapter Eight The Health and Wellness of Sexual and Gender Minorities
David W. Pantalone, John E. Pachankis, Brian A. Rood, and Sarah M. Bankoff
Chapter Nine Childhood Obesity and Cultural Influences
Jacqueline Woods, Stephen K. Trapp, and Marilyn Stern
Chapter Ten Suicide across Cultures
Kristin M. Vespia and Kaitlyn J. Florer
Afterword
About the Editor and Contributors
Index