Language Barriers in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Primary Care Practitioners

Abstract

Many migrants do not speak the official language of their host country. This linguistic gap has been found to be an important contributor to disparities in access to services and health outcomes. This study examined primary care mental health practitioners' experiences with linguistic diversity. 113 practitioners in Montreal completed a self-report survey assessing their experiences working with allophones. About 40% of practitioners frequently encountered difficulties working in mental health with allophone clients. Few resources were available, and calling on an interpreter was the most common practice. Interpreters were expected to play many roles, which went beyond basic language translation. There is a clear need for training of practitioners on how to work with different types of interpreters. Training should highlight the benefits and limitations of the different roles that interpreters can play in health care delivery and the differences in communication dynamics with each role.

Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors and Psychological Status Among Arabs and Koreans in the United Arab Emirates

“…Korean migrants scored lowest on the health responsibility subscale, which includes activities such as having blood pressure measured, receiving regular health check‐ups, or reporting symptoms to their physician. One explanation for this may be a potential language barrier; over one‐third of Korean participants indicated experiencing a language barrier, which has been identified in previous studies as an important contributor to disparities in access to healthcare services (Brisset et al, ; Mirza et al, ). Few healthcare facilities in the UAE have Korean‐speaking staff.…”

Access and utilization of mental health services for immigrants and refugees: Perspectives of immigrant service providers

“…Using interpreting services and cultural brokers, although deemed necessary, results in challenges because of the minimal training provided in these roles, lack of funding for full‐time positions, client concerns around confidentiality, and personal values and beliefs of these mediators being imposed on conversations with clients (Brisset et al . , ). Immigrant service providers called for improvements in training cultural brokers and interpreters working within immigrant serving agencies and within the mainstream healthcare system.…”

Recommendations for Canadian Mental Health Practitioners Working With War-Exposed Immigrants and Refugees

“…To date, the training of clinicians in the use of interpreters has not been adequately met (Brisset et al, 2014). A key observation based on our clinical and community experience is the interpreter's bias towards a Western bio-medical model of mental health, which is attributed to either a tendency to downplay their own view of indigenous understandings and practices as primitive or backward, or unease with being perceived as such; this in turn impacts their ability to accurately interpret issues from clients' perspectives and is further compounded by their interpreter training or education which reflects mainstream knowledge on mental health.…”