Negotiating the Pathways Into Care in a Globalizing World

Help-Seeking Behaviour of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Parents

Schnitzer, Gila
Loots, Gerrit
Escudero, Valentin
Schechter, Isaac

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit of Interpersonal, Discursive and Narrative Studies (IDNS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, [email protected]
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit of Interpersonal, Discursive and Narrative Studies (IDNS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit of Interpersonal, Discursive and Narrative Studies (IDNS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Centre for Applied Psychology, Bikur Cholim - Partners in Health, Monsey, New York, USA

International Journal of Social Psychiatry 57(2):p 153-165, March 2011. | DOI: 10.1177/0020764009105291

Background: The study of the pathways into care as a social process subject to a wide range of influences is needed to build appropriate and effective mental health services for culturally diverse societies.

Material: Grounded theory and situational analysis of 21 in-depth interviews explores the help-seeking behaviour of ultra-Orthodox Jewish parents: which help-seeking pathways parents follow and how they make the decision to consult regular services for their child.

Discussion: Three help-seeking pathways are influenced by glob/calization dynamics and gender: parents draw on diverse parenting discourses and strategies, socio-religious frameworks and cultural realities.

Conclusion: Strategies are suggested to enhance the accessibility of services.