International Journal of Culture and Mental Health
Volume 4, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 144-151

Intermediated communication by interpreters in psychotherapy with traumatized refugees (Article)

Brune M.* , Eiroá-Orosa F.J. , Fischer-Ortman J. , Delijaj B. , Haasen C.
  • a Haveno, Psychotherapy and Intercultural Communication, Hamburg, Germany
  • b Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, University Medical Centre, Hamburg, Germany, Community Action Group, Madrid, Spain
  • c Haveno, Psychotherapy and Intercultural Communication, Hamburg, Germany
  • d Haveno, Psychotherapy and Intercultural Communication, Hamburg, Germany
  • e Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, University Medical Centre, Hamburg, Germany

Abstract

Immigrants in need of psychotherapy are often confronted with the fact that there is no psychotherapist available with whom they can proceed in a common language understood well by both. In some cases psychotherapy with communication intermediated by interpreters is offered. This study compares the outcome of 190 individual psychotherapies with refugees with post-traumatic disorders, half of them with the help of interpreters, the other half without. The results show that psychotherapies with the help of interpreters were as effective as those without, even though the psychosocial conditions (such as employment, training, foreign language proficiency and social network) for those patients who needed interpreters were tougher. We conclude that psychotherapy with the help of an interpreter should not be considered the poorer alternative. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Author Keywords

Refugees immigrants Psychotherapy Interpreters

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84859399761&doi=10.1080%2f17542863.2010.537821&partnerID=40&md5=3119b88eea33ff699065426384ea2842
DOI: 10.1080/17542863.2010.537821
ISSN: 17542863
Cited by: 15
Original Language: English