Using a multicultural lens to understand illnesses among Haitians living in America.

Currently, ethnic and racial minority individuals represent a large proportion of the U.S. population, andresearchers expect that they will represent the majority of the population by 2050. This shift in U.S.demographics calls for a greater awareness and integration of cultural issues into the assessment andtreatment of ethnically and linguistically diverse clients. This article examines the unique beliefs andmanifestations of illnesses among Haitians in connection with the American Psychological Association’s(APA, 2002) Multicultural Guidelines. The authors use a common culture-bound syndrome, Se´izisman ,to illustrate the cultural beliefs, assessment, and treatment of illnesses among Haitians. In so doing, theydemonstrate how to incorporate the APA Multicultural Guidelines into treatment with clients of diversecultural and racial backgrounds.