Mental Health
Mental health behaviors are family routines that deal with self-esteem, personal integrity, work and play, and controlling stress. Routines in this category are related to the ways individuals and families attend to self-efficacy and cope with stress. These routines are important for both individuation and family identify. Parents carefully nurture their children, attempt to use available resources for a broad spectrum of family needs, and appear concerned about increasing well-being for individuals and family as a whole.
In Appalachian families, members regularly provide support to kin. In some families, active participation and care for extended family was viewed as a sign of support, respect, and love. However, some members may view these expectations as additional stress. Mental health care often meant anticipating needs, providing emotional support, re-defining unique boundaries, balancing patterns of attachment and independence, and determining boundary affiliations with extended family, close friends, neighbors, and outsiders. Mothers usually assumed the greatest responsibility for family members’ emotional care, but fathers also played roles.
Some families may be less likely to seek professional assistance for emotional needs because of a stigma and negative view from the larger community. Several members of families using hospice care discussed the emotional pressures of caregiving, but viewed these activities as needful. Other families described frustrations when some members did not meet expectations in fulfilling caregiving responsibilities. Mental health routines, such as shared humor and family fun activities, individual relaxation techniques, stress management styles, participation in family celebrations, pet interactions, and religious practices were described as ways to contribute to health. While these things overlap with family care routines, aspects of these behaviors are used to reduce stress and cope.
Family cooperation can be viewed as an important tactic in supporting individual members’ mental health needs and spiritual well-being. Many parents view church related activities as principal social activities, but mothers usually take the primary responsibility to oversee adherence to religious practices and church attendance. Not everyone is a regular churchgoer, but many still have a deep-seated faith that seems to be a value influencing many lifeways. Parents that did not attend church often encourage young children to participate in some church activities. Faith, prayer, and belief in God seem important even when church attendance or religious rituals were lacking. Everyday conversation is often sparked with ideas related to spiritual or religious beliefs. In some families, faith is an organizing theme for many family routines. Things such as good communication, family and friends, and a household where members shared laughter and tears are often thought to be factors that contribute to family health.
Many close friendships in Appalachian families are with persons known for many years and often include close relationships with kin or extended family, parishioners at their church, and neighbors. While outsiders are treated warmly, many people in the region are slow to welcome them into lifetime networks of close friendships.
Previous Page (Safety and Precautions) | Next Page (Family Care)
Click here to
about Diabetes
Copyright 2010, Ohio University All Rights Reserved