Cross-Cultural Communication
A Systematic Review of Effective Intercultural Communication in Mental Health
Abstract
Purpose of the Research: Effective intercultural communication between patients and clinicians is essential for the delivery of high quality health care. To date, there has been no systematic assessment of empirical literature on effective communication within a mental health context, despite theoretical models purporting certain criteria make health communications more effective. The current research aims to determine factors which aid or hinder communication effectiveness in such a context, and to see whether the literature supports Teal and Street’s (2009) theoretical model specifically. Additionally, the review considered the role of language disparity between patients and clinicians within the mental health context.
Method: Electronic databases Medline, Psych Info and Web of Science were searched using an optomised search strategy in June 2014. Studies were considered where intercultural communication between a clinician and patient was a primary focus. To meet inclusion the papers needed to be empirical in nature, written in English, peer-reviewed and of sound quality. Data relating to the study type and analysis used, characteristics of participants (both patients and clinicians), cultural and communication information were extracted.
Results: Eight papers were included in the final review. The results largely support Teal and Street’s model and highlight that nonverbal and verbal behaviour skill, recognition of cultural differences, incorporating cultural knowledge, alongside negotiation and collaboration with patients and family members, all aid in effective communication. Additionally, language barriers were found to pose a significant barrier to communication. The quantity of current literature investigating the effectiveness of intercultural communication specifically within a mental health setting is limited, highlighting the need for further investigation.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
EBL Critical Appraisal Checklist. (2006). Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved from http://www.nihs.ie/pdf/EBL%20Critical%20Appraisal%20Checklist.pdf
Arthur, D., Chan, H., Fung, W., Wong, K., & Yeung, K. (1999). Therapeutic communication strategies used by Hong Kong mental health nurses with their Chinese clients. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing, 6(1), 29-36. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2850.1999.00180.x
Aseltine, R.H., Jr., Katz, M.C., & Holmes, C. (2011). Providing medical care to diverse populations: Findings from a follow-up survey of Connecticut physicians. Connecticut Medicine, 75(6), 337-344.
Bird, S. M., Wiles, J. L., Okalik, L., Kilabuk, J., & Egeland, G. M. (2008). Living with diabetes on Baffin Island: Inuit storytellers share their experiences. Canadian Journal of Public Health Revue Canadienne de Sante Publique, 99(1), 17-21.
Blignault, I., Ponzio, V., Rong, Y., & Eisenbruch, M. (2008). A qualitative study of barriers to mental health services utilisation among migrants from mainland China in south-east Sydney. Int J Soc Psychiatry, 54(2), 180-190.
Butow, P., Bell, M., Goldstein, D., Sze, M., Aldridge, L., Abdo, S, …Eisenbruch, M. (2011). Grappling with cultural differences; communication between oncologists and immigrant cancer patients with and without interpreters. Patient Educ Couns, 84(3), 398-405. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2011.01.035
Calderon, J. L., & Beltran, R. A. (2004). Pitfalls in health communication: Healthcare policy, institution, structure, and process. Medgenmed [Computer File]: Medscape General Medicine, 6(1), 9.
Chung, R. C., & Singer, M. K. (1995). Interpretation of symptom presentation and distress. A Southeast Asian refugee example. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 183(10), 639-648. doi:10.1097/00005053-199510000-00005
Collins, J. L., Mathura, C. B., & Risher, D. L. (1984). Training psychiatric staff to treat a multicultural patient population. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 35(4), 372-376.
Cooper, L. A., Roter, D. L., Johnson, R. L., Ford, D. E., Steinwachs, D. M., & Powe, N. R. (2003). Patient-centered communication, ratings of care, and concordance of patient and physician race. Annals of Internal Medicine, 139 (11), 907-915.
Costantino, G., Malgady, R. G., & Primavera, L. H. (2009). Congruence between culturally competent treatment and cultural needs of older Latinos. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 77(5), 941-949. doi:10.1037/a0016341
Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). (2006). Public health resource unit. Retrieved from http://www.sph.nhs.uk/sph-files/Qualitative Appraisal Tool.pdf
Cross, W. M., & Bloomer, M. J. (2010). Extending boundaries: clinical communication with culturally and linguistically diverse mental health clients and carers. Int J Ment Health Nurs, 19(4), 268-277. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0349.2010.00667.x
Eytan, A., Bischoff, A., Rrustemi, I., Durieux, S., Loutan, L., & Gilbert, M., et al. (2002). Screening of mental disorders in asylum-seekers from Kosovo. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(4), 499-503. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1614.2002.01044.x.
Fujimori, M., Parker, P. A., Akechi, T., Sakano, Y., Baile, W. F., & Uchitomi, Y. (2007). Japanese cancer patients’ communication style preferences when receiving bad news. Psychooncology, 16(7), 617-625. doi:10.1002/pon.1102
Garrett, P. W., Dickson, H. G., & Whelan, A. K. (2008). Communication and healthcare complexity in people with little or no English: The Communication Complexity Score. Ethn Health, 13(3), 203-217. doi:10.1080/13557850701837328
Gilmer, T. P., Ojeda, V. D., Barrio, C., Fuentes, D., Garcia, P., Lanouette, N. M., & Lee, K.C. (2009). Adherence to antipsychotics among Latinos and Asians with Schizophrenia and limited English proficiency. Psychiatr Serv, 60(2), 175-182.
Glynn, L. (2006). A critical appraisal tool for library and information research. Library Hi Tech, 24(3), 387-399. doi:10.1108/07378830610692154
Hilfinger Messias, D. K., McDowell, L., & Estrada, R. D. (2009). Language interpreting as social justice work: perspectives of formal and informal healthcare interpreters. ANS Adv Nurs Sci, 32(2),128-143. doi:10.1097/ANS.0b013e3181a3af97
Horner, R. D., Salazar, W., Geiger, H. J., Bullock, K., Corbie-Smith, G., Cornog, M., Flores G, & Working Group on Changing Health Care Professionals B. (2004). Changing healthcare professionals’ behaviors to eliminate disparities in healthcare: What do we know? How might we proceed? American Journal of Managed Care, 10(SP), 12-19.
Hoye, S., & Severinsson, E. (2010). Multicultural family members’ experiences with nurses and the intensive care context: A hermeneutic study. Intensive & Critical Care Nursing, 26(1), 24-32. doi:10.1016/j.iccn.2009.10.003
Jirojwong, S., & Manderson, L. (2001). Feelings of sadness: Migration and subjective assessment of mental health among Thai women in Brisbane, Australia. Transcultural Psychiatry, 38(2), 167-186. doi:10.1177/136346150103800202
Kemper, B. J. (1992). Therapeutic listening: developing the concept. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv, 30(7), 21-23.
Kirmayer, L. J. (2001). Cultural variations in the clinical presentation of depression and anxiety: implications for diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 62(Suppl 13), 22-28; discussion 29-30.
Kirmayer, L. J., Groleau, D., Guzder, J., Blake, C., & Jarvis, E. (2003). Cultural consultation: a model of mental health service for multicultural societies. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry - Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie, 48(3), 145-153.
Kirmayer, L. J., Weinfeld, M., Burgos, G., du Fort, G. G., Lasry, J. C., & Young, A. (2007). Use of health care services for psychological distress by immigrants in an urban multicultural milieu. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry - Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie, 52(5), 295-304.
Ayonrinde, O. (2003). Importance of cultural sensitivity in therapeutic transactions—Considerations for healthcare providers. Disease Management & Health Outcomes, 11(4), 233-248. doi:00115677-200311040-00004
McCabe, R., & Priebe, S. (2004). Explanatory models of illness in schizophrenia: comparison of four ethnic groups. British Journal of Psychiatry, 185, 25-30. doi:10.1192/bjp.185.1.25
Meeuwesen, L., van den Brink-Muinen, A., & Hofstede, G. (2009). Can dimensions of national culture predict cross-national differences in medical communication? Patient Educ Couns, 75(1), 58-66. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2008.09.015
Minas, I. H., Stuart, G. W., & Klimidis, S. (1994). Language, culture and psychiatric services: A survey of Victorian clinical staff. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 28(2), 250-258. doi:10.1080/00048679409075636
Moffic, H. S. (1983). Sociocultural guidelines for clinicians in multicultural settings. Psychiatr Q, 55(1), 47-54. doi:10.1080/00048679409075636
Qureshi, A., & Collazos, F. (2011). The intercultural and interracial therapeutic relationship: challenges and recommendations. International Review of Psychiatr, 23(1), 10-19. doi:10.3109/09540261.2010.544643
Qureshi, A., Collazos, F., Ramos, M., & Casas, M. (2008). Cultural competency training in psychiatry. European Psychiatry: the Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists, 23(Suppl 1), 49-58.
Archie, S., Akhtar-Danesh, N., Norman, R., Malla, A., Roy, P., & Zipursky, R. B. (2010). Ethnic diversity and pathways to care for a first episode of psychosis in Ontario. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 36(4), 688-701. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbn137
Rosenberg, E., Richard, C., Lussier, M-T., & Abdool, S. N. (2006). Intercultural communication competence in family medicine: lessons from the field. Patient Educ Couns, 61(2), 236-245. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2005.04.002
Sandhu, S., Bjerre, N. V., Dauvrin, M., Dias, S., Gaddini, A., Greacen, T., & Priebe, S. (2013). Experiences with treating immigrants: a qualitative study in mental health services across 16 European countries. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 48(1), 105-116. doi:10.1007/s00127-012-0528-3
Schouten, B. C., & Meeuwesen, L. (2006). Cultural differences in medical communication: a review of the literature. Patient Educ Couns, 64(1-3), 21-34. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2005.11.014
Schouten, B. C., Meeuwesen ,L., Tromp, F., & Harmsen, H. A. M. (2007). Cultural diversity in patient participation: the influence of patients’ characteristics and doctors’ communicative behaviour. Patient Educ Couns, 67(1-2), 214-223. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2007.03.018
Seeleman, C., Suurmond, J., & Stronks, K. (2009). Cultural competence: a conceptual framework for teaching and learning. Medical Education, 43(3), 229-237. doi:0024-2519/2009/7902-0002$10.00
Teal, C. R., & Street, R. L. (2009). Critical elements of culturally competent communication in the medical encounter: A review and model. Soc Sci Med, 68(3), 533-543. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.10.015
Wiebe, A., & Young, B. (2011). Parent perspectives from a neonatal intensive care unit: a missing piece of the culturally congruent care puzzle. J Transcult Nurs, 22(1), 77-82. doi:10.1177/1043659609360850
Wilczynski, N. L., Haynes, R. B., & Hedges, T. (2006). Annals of General Psychiatry. Biomed Central, 5(4), 1-7.
Ziguras, S., Klimidis, S., Lewis, J., & Stuart, G. (2003). Ethnic matching of clients and clinicians and use of mental health services by ethnic minority clients. Psychiatr Serv, 54(4), 535-541. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.54.4.53
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/%25x
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2014 Shanna Logan, Zachary Steel, Caroline Hunt
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Share us to: 
Reminder
- How to do online submission to another Journal?
- If you have already registered in Journal A, then how can you submit another article to Journal B? It takes two steps to make it happen:
1. Register yourself in Journal B as an Author
- Find the journal you want to submit to in CATEGORIES, click on “VIEW JOURNAL”, “Online Submissions”, “GO TO LOGIN” and “Edit My Profile”. Check “Author” on the “Edit Profile” page, then “Save”.
2. Submission
Online Submission: http://cscanada.org/index.php/ccc/submission/wizard
- Go to “User Home”, and click on “Author” under the name of Journal B. You may start a New Submission by clicking on “CLICK HERE”.
- We only use four mailboxes as follows to deal with issues about paper acceptance, payment and submission of electronic versions of our journals to databases: caooc@hotmail.com; office@cscanada.net; ccc@cscanada.net; ccc@cscanada.org
Articles published in Cross-Cultural Communication are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY).
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION Editorial Office
Address: 1055 Rue Lucien-L'Allier, Unit #772, Montreal, QC H3G 3C4, Canada.
Telephone: 1-514-558 6138
Website: Http://www.cscanada.net; Http://www.cscanada.org
E-mail:caooc@hotmail.com; office@cscanada.net
Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 
