Effective and Timely Communication during Crisis

This article discusses the importance of effective and timely communication during crisis and how to communicate in a culturally appropriate manner. It also provides tips on how to support individuals and communities in crisis. The article emphasizes the need to learn about an individual's culture and their concept of health, know what is normal and what is not in the person's culture, and use community and family support to help resolve the crisis.

Learn about the person’s
culture and their concept of
mental health…
When communicating in a
crisis, healthcare
professionals are required to
learn about an individual’s
culture and their concepts of
health. An individual’s culture
plays an important role not
only in the manner in which
they understand and interpret
health but also in the way
they seek assistance from
professionals, family, and
friends
The Effective and Timely
Communication during Crisis
Whenever there is a crisis, it is essential to
disseminate timely information to the
affected individuals or community. Oral and
written communication should be made
available in a language that is easily
understandable by the affected parties. If
need be, sign language interpreters should
be provided. When such events occur, the
healthcare professionals should offer form
letters that are explicitly prepared in
advance for events that are tragic but
predictable.
Additionally, there should be a supplement
of written materials with other forms of
information like community
announcements, television, and radio.
Ideally, the healthcare professionals should
consider using the primary language of the
affected people when delivering notification
of services and outreach to the affected
people. In cases where native speakers are
not available, trained interpreters with the
necessary knowledge about the crisis can be
used to convey the tone accurately.
Supporting Individuals
and Communities in
Crisis

Know what is normal, and what is not,
in the person’s culture…When
communicating in times of crisis,
healthcare practitioners are supposed to
know what is right and what is
considered wrong in the victim’s
culture. Communities have different
cultural and spiritual, and it is essential
to take into consideration the cultural
and spiritual contexts of the victims as
defined by their communities. For
example, the aboriginals have a
common experience to be mislabeled or
misdiagnosed of certain conditions
when they are not ill at all.
Misdiagnosis has brought great fear and
barrier to help-seeking for suchlike
people. It is, therefore, crucial for
healthcare practitioners to take care not
to assume that a particular person is
suffering from or developing a mental
health condition or crisis.
Know what Culturally Appropriate
Communication is…
Additionally, when communicating in
times of crisis, it is essential for
healthcare practitioners to know what
culturally appropriate communication
is. Being aware of respectful ways of
communicating with people outside
your community or culture is very
important especially when meeting to
discuss health matters. Similarly, it is
worth noting that what is considered
respectful in one society may not be
respectful in another. Some
communities consider eye contact as
being judged while others consider eye
contact as a sign of respect and
confidence. When you want to pass a
message to a person under health crisis,
a health care provider should begin by
having a yarn then spending adequate
time with them to let them confide in
him/her. It is also important to let them
suggest the Take into consideration that
confined places may cause anxiety.
Sensitive topics may require the
permission of the victims of crisis
before discussions.
Do not shame the person, their Family
or Community…
It is advisable to communicate with
victims of crisis in a manner they will
not view or consider as shameful to
them and their families.
Consider using Community and Family
Support…
It is essential to create a network of
support for victims of health crisis to
help them resolve their crisis. Using
community and family support would
be important especially when you are
worried about the safety of people in
crisis. Involving the family members of
the victims would be of essence until
they get over the crisis.