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Due to cultural and systemic factors, Chinese-Canadians tend to use mental health services less or when mental health problems are more severe. Services need to be more culturally responsive in their treatment of mental illness. Around important life events, when there may be heightened vulnerability to mental illness, this is especially important. In this study, postpartum cultural practices were examined among recent immigrant, longer-term immigrant, and Canadian-born Chinese women. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of 493 women in Toronto, Ontario, with livebirths in 2011–2014. Participants completed a demographic survey and Postpartum Rituals Questionnaire. Most women (82.2%) practiced at least one postpartum ritual. Younger age (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.87–0.99) and greater participation in the heritage culture (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.02–1.61) were associated with ritual practice. From among five types of postpartum rituals identified (i.e., avoidance of homeostatic disturbances, dietary practices, wind avoidance, organized support, and cold avoidance), dietary practices were most commonly undertaken and cold avoidance was least commonly undertaken. There were differences in postpartum ritual patterns by immigration status, with immigrant women being more likely to undertake a greater number of rituals, to attribute these rituals to Chinese culture, and to ascribe health benefits to these rituals and being less likely to feel forced into performing these rituals. Our findings underscore the importance of clinicians becoming more aware of Chinese postpartum rituals to provide women with culturally competent and patient-centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychological intervention that has wide clinical applications with emerging empirical support. It is based on Functional Contextualism and is derived as a clinical application of the Relational Frame Theory, a behavioral account of the development of human thought and cognition. The six core ACT therapeutic processes include: Acceptance, Defusion, Present Moment, Self-as-Context, Values, and Committed Action. In addition to its explicit use of the concept of mindfulness, the therapeutic techniques of ACT implicitly incorporate other aspects of Buddhism. This article describes the basic principles and processes of ACT, explores the similarities and differences between ACT processes and some of the common tenets in Buddhism such as the Four Noble Truths and No-Self, and reports on the experience of running a pilot intervention ACT group for the Cambodian community in Toronto in partnership with the community’s Buddhist Holy Monk. Based on this preliminary exploration in theory and the reflections of the group experience, ACT appears to be consistent with some of the core tenets of Buddhism in the approach towards alleviating suffering, with notable differences in scope reflecting their different aims and objectives. Further development of integrative therapies that can incorporate psychological and spiritual as well as diverse cultural perspectives may help the continued advancement and evolution of more effective psychotherapies that can benefit diverse populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]