Skip to main content
ABCT 2024 58th Annual Convention Main banner
Psychology Tools Ad
Final Program


Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
Recorded Session
Recorded Session
Ticketed Session
Ticketed Session
Back
Evaluation ViewAttendees 8

Panel Discussions

Culture / Ethnicity / Race

Special Considerations for Working with South Asian Populations: Translating Research to Practice through Community Engagement

Panel Discussion 37 - Special Considerations for Working with South Asian Populations: Translating Research to Practice Through Community Engagement

Saturday, November 16, 2024
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM EST
Location: Franklin Hall 9, Level 4, Downtown Marriott
Earn 1.5 Credit
Keywords: Asian Americans, CBT, Underserved Populations
Recommended Readings: Chandra, R. M., Arora, L., Mehta, U. M., Asnaani, A., & Radhakrishnan, R. (2016). Asian Indians in America: The influence of values and culture on mental health. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 22, 202-209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2015.09.011,   Shah, M. (2021). Acceptance-based therapies and Asian philosophical traditions: Similarities and differences in the concept of acceptance. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 39(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-020-00355-2,   Aggarwal, P., Wiese, D. L., & Bhuptani, P. (2022). Relational ecological model of identity: A tool for providing culturally competent clinical care in India. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 11(1), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.1027/2157-3891/a000014,   ,  
South Asians, individuals residing in or with ancestral roots in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, are a highly heterogeneous group based on varied socio-cultural identities. Although the South Asian community comprises one of the fastest-growing groups in the United States and globally, they are relatively invisible in published psychological literature, including literature on psychotherapeutic interventions. Given the diverse social, cultural, and religious values and beliefs among the South Asian communities, there needs to be more community-rooted research on adapting cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) based interventions to their specific cultures and needs (Chandra et al., 2016)
Panelists will discuss unique values, strengths, presenting concerns, and stressors experienced by South Asian communities. The panel will also promote awareness of the systems of oppression and cultural context that exist in South Asian communities. Furthermore, evidence-based techniques and interventions such as third-wave CBT that emphasizes existing cultural ties to South Asian-based philosophies (e.g., Shah, 2021), cultural adaptations to evidence-based treatments (e.g., for PTSD, Contractor et al., 2022), and a theoretical model for exploring identity development of South Asians using a relational lens (Aggarwal et al., 2021) will be discussed.
Members of this panel include graduate students and faculty, as well as researchers and clinicians from diverse backgrounds (e.g., age, gender, nationality) within the South Asian diaspora, including professionals affiliated with the nation’s first and only Clinical Psychology doctoral program with an Asian Mental Health concentration. Panelists will offer expertise from their (1) clinical and community-engaged work with South Asians, (2) research experiences on the mental health of South Asians, including using community-based participatory research methods to adapt CBT innovatively, and (3) lived experiences as South Asians in academia and clinical practice.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Describe the unique values and strengths of South Asian communities.
  2. Explain unique presenting concerns and stressors experienced by South Asian communities.
  3. Describe oppression-based stress and intersectional factors affecting South Asian communities.
  4. Identify the unique mental health inequalities in clinical practice and research relating to the South Asian diaspora.
  5. Specify evidence-based approaches that leverage cultural strengths and philosophies relevant to working with South Asian communities.
  6. Outline cultural adaptations of CBT interventions and curriculum being developed for the South Asian community based on community-engaged work.
  7. Discuss lived experiences of South Asian students and professionals from across the diaspora working in academic, clinical, and research realms.