Communicating interculturally in the mental health public system in Spain

Abstract

The access to public information is a democratic right that is not just for people who can communicate effectively within their dominant culture but for all citizens, thus it must be available and accessible to all. However, linguistic and cultural difficulties regarding the access and use of public services, as well as communication facilitation at all levels are problems which have not yet been tackled by authorities in Spain. The services currently used to tend to communication-related needs between the non-Spanish speaking population and healthcare professionals are not completely effective in Spanish hospitals, and most medical professionals will explain that, in their consultations with migrants who do not speak Spanish, they ask them to bring along a family member or friend who speaks Spanish. Concerning mental health—an area in which communication is of the utmost importance and treatment very frequently involves therapy and, thus, communication between the health provider and the patient—, language and cultural barriers often create further obstacles for an adequate treatment.

This paper will present the results of a narrative inquiry of a sample of mental health clinicians on their perceptions and experiences when working with non-Spanish speaking patients.