Challenges and conflicts in the delivery of mental health services to ultra-orthodox Jews.

Ultra-orthodox Jews are a religious group that lives apart, valuing its separateness and ascribing sanctity to its life style. Community members are reticent to seek help from mental health services, especially if provided by professionals from outside the community. Therapeutic interventions should be explained in terms meaningful to the patient's explanatory model. Community members may face stigmatic attitudes of service providers. Situations are presented of the challenges and conflicts that confront ultra-orthodox Jews and mental health service providers concerning seeking help, understanding idioms of distress, providing appropriate rehabilitation services and negotiating arranged matches for marriage (shidduchim).