Appalachian Americans

Appalachian Americans
Author: Daya Singh Sandhu
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020
Genre: Appalachian Region
ISBN: 9781536165425
GET BOOK

Appalachian Americans: Issues and Concerns for Counseling and Psychotherapy, an edited book, by Drs. Daya Singh Sandhu, Jeffrey Parsons, and Quentin Hunter, has recently made debut in the fields of multicultural and cross-cultural scholarship and practice as sui generis, a unique book of its kind in many ways. This is perhaps one of the few books that brings counseling needs and mental health problems of the Appalachian people at the forefront for the first time. Generally, Appalachian Americans have been neglected, overlooked, or just forgotten in the past.Since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when culturally different, racially diverse, and people of color started getting attention as an integral part of the American society, multiculturalism became one of the major research interests of social scientists. As a result, most of the multicultural scholarship focused on the cultural identity, cultural worldviews, cultural values of five major racial groups which included, European Americans, African Americans, Latina/Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans.Appalachian Americans: Issues and Concerns for Counseling and Psychotherapy is very different, unique, and distinct from most of the previous multicultural publications. This book is not based on the racial or cultural identity of the Appalachian people, it is distinctly based on the issues relating to social marginalization, economic and social injustices, and inequities. It focuses much of its attention on the impact of the oppression and social marginalization on Appalachian people's lives.In its very first and rare attempt, this powerful book explores and discusses the effects of geography on the personality and special rules for living on the Appalachian Americans. Appalachian trails, also called trails of tears, have been sadly neglected by the multicultural scholarship and institutions of higher learning. While people in the other parts of the country enjoy beautiful sceneries of mountains and their ranges, but people from Appalachia living on the same mountains call their challenges of life as mountains of problems.The contributors of this book are commended for opening new vistas and visions for the Appalachian people to tread proudly and fearlessly on many unbeaten paths of their lives without worrying about becoming prisoners of mountains.More than ethnic, cultural, and racial conflicts, Appalachian people face more economical and environmental racism and discriminations mostly caused by the big corporations who are hungry for coal from the Appalachia. Many authors have discussed issues relating to social, psychological, and environmental needs of the Appalachian people and offered strategies of social justice and advocacy to deal with poverty, injustices, and social marginalization that is so prevalent in the Appalachian Land.The aim of this textbook is to address the mental health problems and counseling needs of the Appalachian people and it is indispensable for mental health professionals, professional counselors, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and all other people interested in the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the Appalachian people. I hope it will adorn your home library soon.Daya Singh SandhuAugust 29, 2019

Appalachian Health and Well-being

Appalachian Health and Well-being
Author: Robert L. Ludke
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2012-03-07
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 0813135869
GET BOOK

Appalachians have been characterized as a population with numerous disparities in health and limited access to medical services and infrastructures, leading to inaccurate generalizations that inhibit their healthcare progress. Appalachians face significant challenges in obtaining effective care, and the public lacks information about both their healthcare needs and about the resources communities have developed to meet those needs. In Appalachian Health and Well-Being, editors Robert L. Ludke and Phillip J. Obermiller bring together leading researchers and practitioners to provide a much-needed compilation of data- and research-driven perspectives, broadening our understanding of strategies to decrease the health inequalities affecting both rural and urban Appalachians. The contributors propose specific recommendations for necessary research, suggest practical solutions for health policy, and present best practices models for effective health intervention. This in-depth analysis offers new insights for students, health practitioners, and policy makers, promoting a greater understanding of the factors affecting Appalachian health and effective responses to those needs.

Appalachia's Children: The Challenge of Mental Health

Appalachia's Children: The Challenge of Mental Health
Author: David H. Looff
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 272
Release: 1971
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9780813133591
GET BOOK

The analysis of the developmental experiences and resulting personality patterns of Southern Appalachian children is based upon fieldwork in psychiatric clinics in eastern Kentucky, where diagnostic evaluation and treatment were provided for emotionally disturbed children. Observations on the mental health, or mental disorder, of the children are made concurrently with and in the light of observations on the ways in which eastern Kentucky families raise their children and on the kinds of adjustments to life that these children make. The historical, geographic, and socioeconomic characteristics of the region, in addition to characteristic family life styles and child rearing practices, are presented as the necessary context for understanding the children's mental health problems. Mental disorders are viewed largely as social phenomena and mental health or disorder is seen as firmly embedded in the social matrix. The study of family structure and interrelationships reveals three prominent themes influential in child development - emphasis on infancy of the children and family closeness, poor development of verbal skills, and the consideration of sexual maturation and functioning as a tabooed topic. Instances of emotional disturbance discussed are grouped accordingly: dependency themes, communication patterns, and psychosexual themes. (Kw).

Participatory Development in Appalachia

Participatory Development in Appalachia
Author: Susan Emley Keefe
Publisher: Univ. of Tennessee Press
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2009
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1572336579
GET BOOK

Often thought of as impoverished, backward, and victimized, the people of the southern mountains have long been prime candidates for development projects conceptualized and controlled from outside the region. This book, breaking with old stereotypes and the strategies they spawned, proposes an alternative paradigm for development projects in Appalachian communities-one that is far more inclusive and democratic than previous models. Emerging from a critical analysis of the modern development process, the participatory development approach advocated in this book assumes that local culture has value, that local communities have assets, and that local people have the capacity to envision and provide leadership for their own social change. It thus promotes better decision making in Appalachian communities through public participation and civic engagement. Filling a void in current research by detailing useful, hands-on tools and methods employed in a variety of contexts and settings, the book combines relevant case studies of successful participatory projects with practical recommendations from seasoned professionals. Editor Susan E. Keefe has included the perspectives of anthropologists, sociologists, and others who have been engaged, sometimes for decades, in Appalachian communities. These contributors offer hopeful new strategies for dealing with Appalachia's most enduring problems-strategies that will also aid activists and researchers working in other distressed or underserved communities. Susan E. Keefe is professor of anthropology at Appalachian State University. She is the editor of Appalachian Mental Health and Appalachian Cultural Competency: A Guide for Medical, Mental Health, and Social Service Professionals.

The Birds of Opulence

The Birds of Opulence
Author: Crystal Wilkinson
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2016-03-18
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0813166934
GET BOOK

A lyrical exploration of love and loss, this book centers on several generations of women in a bucolic southern Black township as they live with and sometimes surrender to madness. The Goode-Brown family, led by matriarch and pillar of the community Minnie Mae, is plagued by old secrets and embarrassment over mental illness and illegitimacy. Meanwhile, single mother Francine Clark is haunted by her dead, lightning-struck husband and forced to fight against both the moral judgment of the community and her own rebellious daughter, Mona. The residents of Opulence struggle with vexing relationships to the land, to one another, and to their own sexuality. As the members of the youngest generation watch their mothers and grandmothers pass away, they live with the fear of going mad themselves and must fight to survive. The author offers up Opulence and its people in lush, poetic detail. It is a world of magic, conjuring, signs, and spells, but also of harsh realities that only love - and love that's handed down - can conquer.

The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia

The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia
Author: Nathan L. Vanderford
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2020-04-07
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 1950690059
GET BOOK

Kentucky has more cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths than any other state in the nation, and most of these cases are concentrated in the fifty-four counties that constitute the Appalachian region of the commonwealth. These high rankings can be attributed to factors such as elevated smoking rates, unhealthy eating habits, lower levels of education, and limited access to health care. What is lost in the statistics is just how life-changing cancer can be—something that editors Nathan L. Vanderford, Lauren Hudson, and Chris Prichard have endeavored to address. The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia features essays written by a group of twenty high school and five undergraduate students, all of whom are residents of Kentucky's Appalachian region and are participants in the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center's Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute's Youth Enjoy Science Program. These authentic and candid student essays detail the effects of cancer diagnoses and deaths on individuals, families, friends, and communities, and proclaim these cases as more than nameless statistics. The authors shed light on personal cancer stories in hopes of inspiring readers to avoid cancer-risk behaviors, get involved with cancer-prevention initiatives, give generously, and uplift cancer patients and their loved ones.

Appalachian Trials

Appalachian Trials
Author: Zach Davis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 171
Release: 2012-02-08
Genre: Appalachian Trail
ISBN: 9780985090104
GET BOOK

"I really loved it...Appalachian Trials is full of specific tactical tips for mental preparation, which is key well beyond the AT." - Tim Ferriss, author of New York Times Best Selling The 4-Hour Workweek and The 4-Hour Body Each year, it is estimated that more than 2,000 people set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, yet seven in ten ultimately fall short of their goal. Given the countless number of how-to books and websites offering information about logistics, gear, and endurance training, one would think that more people would finish this 2,200 mile trek. Why then, do so many hikers quit prematurely? After successfully thru-hiking the AT in five months with zero prior backpacking experience, author, Zach Davis, is convinced he's discovered the answer. Aspiring thru-hikers, Davis tells readers, are preparing the wrong way- sweating on the StairMaster, meticulously plotting each re-supply box, or obsessing over the a synthetic or down sleeping bag or perfect pair of socks. While the AT undoubtedly presents extraordinary physical challenges, it is the psychological and emotional struggles that drive people off the trail. Conquering these mental obstacles is the key to success. This groundbreaking book focuses on the most important and overlooked piece of equipment of all- the gear between one's ears. Filled with first-hand, touching yet humorous vignettes and down-to-earth advice that both instructs and inspires, Appalachian Trials gives readers the mental road map they'll need to hike from Springer Mountain to Mt.Katahdin. In Appalachian Trials readers will learn: Goal setting techniques that will assure hikers reach Mt. Katahdin The common early stage pitfalls and how to avoid them How to beat "the Virginia Blues" The importance of and meaning behind "hiking your own hike" 5 strategies for unwavering mental endurance The most common mistake made in the final stretch of the trail Tips for enjoying rather than enduring each of the five million steps along the journey Strategies for avoiding post-trail depression and weight gain In addition, the Bonus Section of Appalachian Trials includes: A thorough chapter on gear written by thru-hiker of the AT and Pacific Crest Trail, and professional backpack gear reviewer Information about the trail's greatest and most unknown risk and how to guard against it 9 tips for saving money before and during your thru-hike A thorough FAQ section including information ranging from how to obtain sponsorship, to the best stove for the trail, to avoiding chafing, and much more

Appalachia's Children

Appalachia's Children
Author: David H. Looff
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 205
Release: 2014-07-11
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0813150426
GET BOOK

This thoughtful, compassionate book makes a major contribution to our understanding of the Southern Appalachian child—his mental disorders and his adaptive strengths. Drawing upon his extensive fieldwork as a clinical child psychiatrist in Eastern Kentucky, Dr. Looff suggests means by which these children can be helped to bridge the gap between their subculture and the mainstream of American life today. The children described in this book, the author points out, are in a real sense not "all children." Since no child grows up in a vacuum, the children of Eastern Kentucky cannot be understood apart from the historical, geographic, and socioeconomic characteristics of the area in which they grow. Knowledge of the children requires some knowledge of the lives of parent, teachers, and the many others upon whom they are dependent. That is to say, mental disorder—or mental health—is embedded in a social matrix. Dr. Looff therefore examines the milieu of these Southern Appalachian children, their future as adults, and how they can achieve their potential—whether in their native or an urban setting. In viewing the children within their own cultural framework, Dr. Looff shows how they develop toward mental health or psychopathology, suggesting supportive techniques that build upon the strengths inherent in each child. These strengths, he suggests, rise out of the same culture that burdens the child with handicaps. Dr. Looff's position is one of guarded optimism, based on the successes of the techniques he has used and observed in seven years of work in Appalachian field clinics. Although he details instances of mental disorder in children, and instances of failure in family functioning, he notes at the same time family strengths and sees these strengths as sources of hope. Although this book is based on fieldwork techniques within a specific area and culture, it is paradigmatically suggestive of wider application. Dr. Looff demonstrates effectively and clearly the profound need for increased concern about what is happening to the rising generation—the children of Eastern Kentucky, the children of the Southern Appalachian region, and the children of the rural south.

Appalachian Mental Health

Appalachian Mental Health
Author: Susan E. Keefe
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2021-05-11
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0813183146
GET BOOK

This volume is the first to explore broadly many important theoretical and applied issues concerning the mental health of Appalachians. The authors—anthropologists, psychologists, social workers and others—overturn many assumptions held by earlier writers, who have tended to see Appalachia and its people as being dominated by a culture of poverty. While the heterogeneity of the region is acknowledged in the diversity of sub-areas and populations discussed, dominant themes emerge concerning Appalachia as a whole. The result of the authors' varied approaches is a cumulative portrait of a strong regional culture with native support systems based on family, community, and religion. Some of the contributors examine therapeutic approaches, including family therapy, that consider the implications of the cultural context. Others explore the impact of Appalachian culture on the impact of Appalachian culture on the development of mental health problems and coping skills and the resulting potential for conflict between Appalachian clients and non-Appalachian health providers. Still others examine cultural considerations in therapeutic encounters and mental health service delivery. The book is rich in case studies and empirical data. The practical, applied nature of the essays will enhance their value for practitioners seeking ways to improve mental health care in the region.