Linguistically- and Culturally-Sensitive Psychotherapy: Improving Communications to Improve Outcomes

Context: Linguistic mismatch can lead to communication problems that interfere with psychological treatments for mental health problems. Cultural misunderstandings can exacerbate these problems. Past research funded by Dialogue McGill has identified ways in which psychotherapists can effectively intervene to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers. The current research proposes to directly evaluate these interventions.

Main Objectives: We will: (1) carry out a systematic review of psychotherapy effectiveness in cross-linguistic and cross-cultural settings; use (2) use qualitative inquiry to study linguistic/cultural misunderstandings between clients and their therapists; and (3) use quantitative techniques to study the impact of interventions designed to mitigate these misunderstandings.

Research Procedures: Participants will be 12 anxiety and/or depression patients from a migrant and/or minority background, all of whom speak English as a second language and prefer English as their first official language. Half will be in a situation of language match with their therapist, and half will have a mismatch, in terms of preferred official language.

Data Analysis:  Qualitative inquiry will give us a close reading on best practices when working with linguistic and cultural diversity. Quantitative modeling will allow us to study the impact of change over time through daily self-report assessments. Some models will include participants from previous Dialogue McGill-funded projects, enhancing statistical power.

Potential Contributions: We anticipate this project will improve mental health care for English-speaking patients in Quebec, as well as improving training of mental health professionals. Results will be relevant to other settings characterized by linguistic and cultural complexity.