West African refugee health in rural Australia:complex cultural factors that influence mental health

Health and mental health practitioners in rural and regional Australia are increasingly being presented with the challenge of working cross-culturally. Due to a diversity of cultures, generic approaches are needed that take account of culture without requiring the practitioner to have detailed knowledge of each person's background. However, there are many practitioners from diverse backgrounds now working in Australia at various stages of enculturation into Western practice. The cultural grounding of one practitioner from West Africa is used to highlight potential areas of misunderstanding, and to offer an accessible point of departure for culturally sensitive practice and formal research opportunities.