Culturally Grounded Well-Being Assessment for Arab Americans

Abstract

Recognizing the influence culture plays in shaping our understanding of various phenomena, scholars have posed questions about how well-being might be differentially defined across diverse racial/ethnic groups. In the field of psychology, frequently used instruments of well-being are grounded in individualistic cultural frameworks that assume factors such as greater autonomy/independence are associated with improved well-being. For minoritized groups in the United States, such as Arab Americans, who ascribe to collectivist values, these instruments may not be culturally relevant. The purpose of the present study was to use an etic–emic approach to identify what well-being means for Arab Americans. In doing so, Arab Americans responded to open-ended questions about their experiences and understandings of well-being. Thematic analysis of these responses captured how well-being connects to living incongruence with Arab cultural values, including centrality of family, community, and spirituality/religion as well as the establishment of basic needs and safety within one’s identity. Mental health providers are encouraged to use the results to support their Arab American clients by tending to these determinants of well-being in culturally relevant ways. Specifically, clinicians can critically consider how their treatment approaches may cater to Western assumptions of what it means to be well and healthy. In doing so, they can consider ways of incorporating the unique experiences of Arab Americans into treatment by understanding the impact racial–ethnic trauma has on well-being and considering how the emphasis on relationships, religion, and the mind–body connection may impact their clients.