1. Best practice recommendations for psychologists working with marginalized populations impacted by COVID-19.
- Author
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Meyer, Marisol L. and Young, Erin
- Subjects
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PSYCHOLOGISTS , *PROFESSIONS , *PATIENT participation , *CLIENT relations , *ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *EVIDENCE-based medicine , *GROUP identity , *MEDICAL personnel , *SOCIAL justice , *MENTAL health , *TRANSCULTURAL medical care , *SELF-consciousness (Awareness) , *ABILITY , *TRAINING , *AT-risk people , *MENTAL healing , *CLINICAL competence , *EMOTIONS , *COVID-19 pandemic , *REFLECTION (Philosophy) - Abstract
The impacts of this pandemic have not been felt equally. The current pandemic has aggravated preexisting prejudices and shed light on long-standing social, economic, and health inequities that have been and continue to be perpetuated by systems of oppression. Psychologists are in a unique position to collaboratively work with marginalized individuals navigating pandemic threat, discrimination, and oppressive systems. This paper presents best practice recommendations for U.S.-based psychologists working with marginalized populations impacted by COVID-19. Psychologists are encouraged to synchronously develop the following three areas of evidence-based practice, as they relate to the impacts of COVID-19: (a) self-reflection and self-awareness in a COVID-19 context (i.e., reflecting on one's identities and one's knowledge and attitudes toward sociohistorical inequities), (b) knowledge acquisition (i.e., adopting an attitude of cultural humility, identifying "emotional contagion," identifying impacts of systemic injustice that may be compounded by COVID-19, and recognizing racial trauma in clients of color), and (c) collaboration with clients (i.e., identify the mental health toll of oppressive systems, explore COVID-19 relevant and culturally responsive methods of healing, encourage virtual community engagement, and incorporate ethnic and racial identity development in personal and professional work). Engaging with these best practice recommendations should result in the psychologist's improved ability to identify and address the consequences of systemic oppression that have been highlighted and exacerbated by COVID-19 on their own behavior and their clients' mental health. Furthermore, psychologists engaged with these best practice recommendations should find themselves better prepared to utilize culturally responsive interventions despite barriers created by COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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