TY - JOUR
T1 - Culturally Responsive CBT for Psychological and Physical Symptoms in Pakistani Youth
T2 - Role of Religious and Cultural Attunement
AU - Nadeem, Tania
AU - Asad, Nargis
AU - Hamid, Sahar Nadeem
AU - Farooq, Pinar
AU - Mahr, Fauzia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used widely throughout the world in diverse populations for successful treatment of a wide range of psychiatric and comorbid conditions. Over the years clinicians have been making efforts to culturally adapt CBT to various groups. This paper discusses the assessment and treatment of a young female from Pakistan with depression and anxiety with comorbid headache. After ruling out all organic causes, the treatment continued over 20 sessions with the initial phase consisting of introduction to CBT, risk assessment, and identification of treatment goals. Following this, the patient was helped in identifying automatic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Finally, tools such as thought substitutions, reappraisals, and positive diversions were used effectively to decrease automatic negative thoughts. A focus on the patient's religio-cultural identity was maintained throughout. Understanding of contextual factors like religio-cultural values and family dynamics helped to bring about favorable therapy outcomes. A case conceptualization that cohesively addressed factors relating to ethnicity, class, and gender yielded a positive result in our case. Involvement of the family and psychoeducation regarding neurobiological causes also proved to be helpful. Such an approach can facilitate a culturally responsive application of CBT in Pakistani youth experiencing comorbid medical and psychiatric disorders.
AB - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used widely throughout the world in diverse populations for successful treatment of a wide range of psychiatric and comorbid conditions. Over the years clinicians have been making efforts to culturally adapt CBT to various groups. This paper discusses the assessment and treatment of a young female from Pakistan with depression and anxiety with comorbid headache. After ruling out all organic causes, the treatment continued over 20 sessions with the initial phase consisting of introduction to CBT, risk assessment, and identification of treatment goals. Following this, the patient was helped in identifying automatic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Finally, tools such as thought substitutions, reappraisals, and positive diversions were used effectively to decrease automatic negative thoughts. A focus on the patient's religio-cultural identity was maintained throughout. Understanding of contextual factors like religio-cultural values and family dynamics helped to bring about favorable therapy outcomes. A case conceptualization that cohesively addressed factors relating to ethnicity, class, and gender yielded a positive result in our case. Involvement of the family and psychoeducation regarding neurobiological causes also proved to be helpful. Such an approach can facilitate a culturally responsive application of CBT in Pakistani youth experiencing comorbid medical and psychiatric disorders.
KW - adolescent psychotherapy
KW - case conceptualization
KW - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
KW - cross-cultural adaptation of psychotherapy
KW - cross-cultural variation
KW - psychiatric and medical comorbidity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187311939&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cbpra.2023.12.007
DO - 10.1016/j.cbpra.2023.12.007
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85187311939
SN - 1077-7229
JO - Cognitive and Behavioral Practice
JF - Cognitive and Behavioral Practice
ER -