The Role of Trauma and Culture in Psychopathology

Precious is a sixteen-year-old African-American girl who lives with her mother in
Harlem. As a result of her parents' unmarried status and her father's not living with them, she
is fatherless. Precious's mother does not work; thus, her family relies on the assistance system
to cover their basic needs (McNeil et al., 2014). Because her mother would not give her
money to buy food, she eats chicken from a restaurant. It is difficult for her to connect with
her mother since she is jealous and harsh. When it comes to children's development, Erikson's
theory states that parents and guardians must begin nurturing their children early. Precious'
mother, however, does not protect her daughter from the abuse she suffers at the hands of her
father. She also does not encourage her daughter to work hard in school, instead of blaming
her for being stupid and predicting that she will fail.

Precious usually wears trousers and a blazer, with just the barest of bare legs showing.
Because of her insecurities, she keeps her appearance hidden. At the beginning of the film,
her tone is aggressive, and she often uses nasty language toward others. In this way, she was
brought up by her mother. This, on the other hand, changes as she gains greater compassion
for others and herself (McNeil et al., 2014). Her demeanor also shifts when she discusses her
concerns with the welfare officer and her instructor at the beginning of the video. In place of
hiding her emotions, she learns to be a more open and expressive person. To get her GED,
Precious has been sent to an alternative school called Each One, Teach One.

Precious initially has trouble with reading and writing at school, but she swiftly
improves her skills at an alternative school where kids must write daily (Parks, 2012). A
newfound sense of self-confidence comes from interacting with her peers at school, where
she can talk and laugh in class for the first time. In Erikson's view, it is peers' job to raise a
person's self-esteem. She acquired self-confidence due to realizing that she could achieve the

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same things as her peers. Students' self-esteem soared due to Ms. Rain's willingness to let
them write anything they wanted, regardless of how erroneous their work could be
(Sandberg, Barrera & Robinson, 2016).

Parents and educators, according to Erikson, should not micromanage their children
throughout their formative years to foster a sense of self-confidence and independence in
them. After learning that she and her children can no longer live with their mother, Precious
has a close relationship with her welfare officer and teacher. When individuals reach a
moment in their lives when they no longer desire to remain alone, as Erikson theorized, they
begin to create meaningful connections, as Precious does with her teacher and other students.
Instead of wishing she had a mate, she feels lonely and longs for intimacy.

Assessment Approaches

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive therapy focuses on altering people's thoughts and ideas, whereas behavior
therapy emphasizes the principles of learning to help individuals modify their behavior.
Using this method helps people concentrate on their present issues and how they might be
resolved (de Arellano et al., 2014). This approach requires the participation of the patient as
well as the therapist. Patients are taught how to identify and correct their faulty thinking
patterns, better interact with others in positive ways, and modify their actions as a result of
this.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a treatment that may assist Precious because it entails
carefully and gradually "exposing" ideas, emotions, and events that remind you of the trauma.
Identifying and replacing erroneous and unreasonable beliefs about the traumatic incident
with more balanced ones is an important treatment element (Stoneman, 2012). On the other

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hand, cognitive therapists work to correct clients' dysfunctional thinking patterns to alleviate
their symptoms of depression and improve their ability to solve issues. Depressed people may
modify how they see the world via long-term cognitive treatment. A reduction in the sense of
helplessness commonly associated with anxiety disorders, a remission of the condition, and
the prevention of a recurrence are all possible outcomes of this therapy for Precious.

Meditation

Meditation is a state of awareness that the observer attains