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The Role of Culture/Ethnicity in Communicating with Cancer Patients About Mental Health Distress and Suicidality

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Abstract

To explore the role of culture in communicating with cancer patients about mental health distress and suicidality. The Grounded Theory method of data collection and analysis was used. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) reported that language competency was a facilitator while being unable to speak the language or understand the nuances of their patient’s communication could be a barrier. HCPs noted that being culturally matched with their patients helped them communicate effectively. HCPs also spoke about religious taboos on suicide as being a barrier to having conversations, either because patients did not feel comfortable discussing these issues, or because they perceived that this was not a topic they could bring up. Some HCPs reported that the culture/ethnicity of their patients had no effect on their ability to communicate effectively with them about mental health distress or suicidality. Advancing effective cross-cultural communication is a challenge faced by HCPs. Raising awareness about communication styles is an important step in addressing communication gaps about mental health and suicide with cancer patients. Training should facilitate skill development to engage in a culturally humble approach to cross-cultural communication including diversity training which encourages asking and actively listening to patients’ needs and preferences.

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Funding

This study was funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (Pilot grant to Granek).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Health, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada

    Leeat Granek

  2. School for Social Work, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA

    Ora Nakash

  3. Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzilya, Israel

    Ora Nakash

  4. Department of Oncology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel

    Samuel Ariad

  5. Gender Studies Program, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel

    Shahar Shapira

  6. Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Merav A. Ben-David

  7. Radiation Oncology Department, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel

    Merav A. Ben-David

Authors
  1. Leeat Granek
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  2. Ora Nakash
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  3. Samuel Ariad
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  4. Shahar Shapira
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  5. Merav A. Ben-David
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Correspondence to Leeat Granek.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Granek, L., Nakash, O., Ariad, S. et al. The Role of Culture/Ethnicity in Communicating with Cancer Patients About Mental Health Distress and Suicidality. Cult Med Psychiatry 44, 214–229 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-019-09650-9

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