Mental Healthcare Services for Persons With Communication Disorders: Experiences of Mental Health Professionals in Gauteng.
Khetsiwe Masuku, Luyanda Zuma
PMID 40709903WHAT IT FOUND
Mental health professionals in Gauteng reported feeling ill-prepared to treat clients with communication disorders, relying on self-taught strategies like closed-ended questions and family interpreters.
This improvisation compromised confidentiality and trust, leaving both clinicians and patients frustrated and fearful.
Key findings
01Participants reported that their undergraduate training did not prepare them for clients with communication disorders, forcing them to rely on self-taught, on-the-job strategies.
02Clinicians used family members as interpreters to bridge communication gaps, but acknowledged this infringed on patient confidentiality and risked using abusers as intermediaries.
03The inability to communicate effectively led to mistrust and limited engagement, with clinicians feeling they were failing their patients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only 11 participants, limiting the breadth of perspectives. Data was collected from one city in one province, so findings may not apply to other regions. The study did not include the voices of persons with communication disorders, relying solely on clinician reports. It is unclear whether participants worked primarily with paediatric or adult populations, or how frequently they treated this group.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the clinicians' use of family interpreters as a recommended practice. The paper explicitly states this method infringed on patient rights and confidentiality, and was used only because professionals lacked formal training in appropriate communication strategies.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →