Welsh psyche: implications for psychological services

This paper examines issues revolving around providing appropriate psycholog ical services to a bi-lingual population in Wales. At present,Welsh speaker s are underrepresented in the psychological services and service providers are typically monoglot English speakers. These issues and their mental heal th and cultural implications have been met with silence by, service provide rs and invisibility bq, potential users. Reasons for this are examined with reference to general mental health statistics and evidence from other grou ps. This paper explores three interweaving strands of evidence: (a) the nat ure of professions and the current socio-economic climate of the NHS; (b) t he general frame of reference in the theoretical conceptions, research and practice of psychological therapies; (c) cultural and social attitudes of b oth service providers and potential users. Similarities are drawn with Irel and and other Celtic countries that share a similar colonial heritage and l egacy, with I Wales, which includes personal, social and cultural construct s including attitudes and expectations to self and others.