Reflective Report: Communication Skills in Mental Healthcare Setting

This report is a reflective analysis of a healthcare professional's experience treating deaf and mute mental health patients, facing significant communication barriers due to language differences and the absence of translators. The student details the initial confusion and emotional responses, emphasizing the importance of patient trust and adherence to professional standards, including the HCPC Standards of Proficiency and the Code of Ethics. The evaluation focuses on the challenges posed by the language barrier and the subsequent application of past experiences to understand patient needs, particularly in cases of schizophrenia. The analysis highlights the need for ethical conduct, cultural sensitivity, and alternative communication methods. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of patience, active listening, and the potential use of translators in future scenarios. Action plans include seeking translation assistance and employing calming techniques. The report demonstrates a commitment to providing mental healthcare and spreading awareness about communication issues.

Running head: COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Communication Skills
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Description
The thing that happened was a scene where I was responsible for treating mental health
patients who were deaf and dumb from their birth for some reasons. They were unable to
communicate with me their problems and most of them were below 25 years of age. Their
parents were aboriginal Canadians coming to our institute for better health facilities. I could not
understand the language and there were no translators who could help me out. Other mental
health practitioners were in confusion as well. I have realized that I faced the non verbal
communication within the mental health setting care. This is why it became a problem for me to
identify the real issues.
Feelings
Before the incident I was very much confused and I could not figure out what to do. I was
thinking how I could understand their language. I was desperately trying to help them out. After
the incident I found out that those parents should have to be convinced to trust us. It is because
some of them were not sure if they could trust us. Probably, they had been repressed time and
again by white people in their country. As per the Standards of proficiency, I had to provide
them with the best care as a liability of my professional duty (Hcpc-uk.or 2019). I would also
have to convince them that their parents must be able to take care of their own health as well.
The verbal communication will be barred in the case of patients suffering from schizophrenia.
This is why problems would arise as patients would get scared and afraid to speak about their
health problems.

2COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Evaluation
At the beginning, I was very unhappy about this incident since they were under my
responsibility and I had all the kits to take care of them professionally. Language barrier became
the biggest challenge for me (Hcpc-uk.or 2019). After these initial challenges I was able to
understand their problems using my own past experience that they were very afraid. They were
harassed and this made them panicky. After I was able to take proper care of them with doses of
medicine, I felt quite happy. I have also felt that sufferers of schizophrenia would suffer from
anxiety and communication disorders in a severe manner. Abnormalities arise in their brain and
they are not able to communicate with their known ones effectively. Neurological disorders are
common in this situation for these patients.
Analysis
I evidently knew that I had to work by keeping code of ethics in mind. I had to provide
them with the best care possible. I was quite confident that I would be able to resolve those
problems (Rcot.co.uk 2019). The culture, diversity and language was the main problem so I had
to be more lenient in this context. So, I thought for a while and searched for the basic causes for
the mental health issues within those children. I thought harassment could be one of those causes
so I drew some figures on the whiteboard that would make them understand it. This worked and
had a positive effect (Rcot.co.uk 2019). As a part of my continuing professional development
(CPD) in code of ethics, I began the treatment of those people. I have analyzed this issue and
come to analyze that the barriers to communication would be the language problems. In a disease
ike schizophrenia, patients would suffer from disorder of communication and they would see
hallucinations in front of them. They would also loss their social skills for proper communication
with others. They lose their confidence of working within the society within the society.

3COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Therefore, verbal communication between patients and doctors becomes a huge factor for
understanding.
Conclusion
I learned from the incident that this kind of language and communication issues might
appear in my future ventures as well. I will have to be patient, lenient and be a good listener. I
will have to use my competency skills to understand their problems and bring out a solution to
this issue. It would have been better if there was a translator. I could have begun my treatment
process a bit earlier. I think this kind of issue can be stopped by spreading awareness campaigns
all over the world. I will have to maintain by sense of responsibility to provide mental healthcare
to the people who need it.
Action Plans
If I face the same situation again, I will communicate who understand their language. I
will also make them calm since they are actually very hyperactive and feel their lives are at risk.
So, it will be my professional responsibility to provide them with fair treatment.

4COMMUNICATION SKILLS
References and Bibliography
Case-Smith, J. and O'Brien, J.C., 2014. Occupational therapy for children and adolescents.
Elsevier Health Sciences.
Hcpc-uk.or (2019). Standards of proficiency - Physiotherapists |. [online] Available at:
https://www.hcpc-uk.org/resources/standards/standards-of-proficiency-physiotherapists/
[Accessed 10 May 2019].
Rcot.co.uk (2019). [online] Rcot.co.uk. Available at:
https://www.rcot.co.uk/sites/default/files/CODE-OF-ETHICS-2015_0.pdf [Accessed 10 May
2019].