| The purpose of this dissertation is to contextualize the practice of Female Circumcision and to conduct an extensive review of the literature pertaining to the mental health treatment of immigrant populations in the United States involved in Female Circumcision (FC). The paper's primary focus is on FC practicing populations who have immigrated to Western societies and are now attempting to navigate through the complex web of assimilation and acculturation while continuing to honor their own cultural belief systems. As many of these immigrants will seek mental health services for various psychological issues (Beiser, et. al., 1995), and because female circumcision will potentially be among the issues raised, mental health practitioners must be prepared to receive these populations in treatment.; When immigrants who come from societies where female circumcision is practiced settle in a country such as the United States, they are faced with a different perception of women's status as well as the sociocultural and economic values that define it. This may lead to a reappraisal of the values initially held concerning excision and infibulation (from the country of origin), to a rejection of the host's country's values, or to an ambivalent stance with regards to deciding whether to continue this practice (Berry, 1997). This paper will review the literature surrounding the values systems that have sustained the practice of FC from society to society, and reflect on historical and ideological contexts. The purpose of this review is intended to raise the awareness and cultural sensitivity of the psychological clinician working with a families and women who have experienced issues arising from female circumcision.; An analysis of the literature will explore post-traumatic symptomatology in women who have undergone FC. This review will build on a pilot study conducted to investigate the mental health status of women after circumcision which found circumcised women showed a significantly higher prevalence of PTSD (30.4%) and other psychiatric syndromes (47.9%) than uncircumcised women (Behrendt, A. & Moritz, S). While it is recognized that the research in this area is in its infancy, the goal of this review is to conduct a thorough exploration of FC literature that will provide Western mental health practitioners with beginning guidelines for providing psychological support and mental health treatment for immigrants who continue to be affected by the practice of female circumcision. |
