Current projects

Sleptsova, M., Morina, N., Schick, M., cooperation partners: Requirements and role of interpreters in the medical sector

The present study examined the quality of interpreting services in the clinical setting by means of a survey of interpreters and interviewers and by analysing videos of medical and psychological consultations. The questions focused on the perception of the role and the approach adopted by the interpreters (omitting, simplifying, adding) and their prior professional and cultural knowledge. The interpreted interviews were videotaped then transcribed and analysed by linguists, bilingual professionals and communication experts. The material collected as part of the project is to be used to create a database in three languages.

Müller, J., Knaevelsrud, C., Maier, T., Rufer, M., Schnyder, U. et al. Biofeedback on the treatment of chronic pain in the case of traumatized migrants – a randomized control group study

This is a multi-centric study of the effect of treatment using standardized, biofeedback therapy on traumatized migrants. 44 patients recruited from AFK and the Psychiatric Polyclinic in Zurich and patients in Berlin and Southampton are involved. In addition to various outcome parameters (pain, other psychopathological symptoms, quality of life), determining cortisol values also constitutes part of the study. The project is largely funded from the resources of the institutions involved, and one post-graduate post in Zurich (Naser Morina) receives external funding. A pilot study was carried out at the beginning of 2006, with promising results, and the actual study began in December 2006.

C.f.: Müller J, Karl A, Denke C, Knaevelsrud C (2007) Somatoform Pain Disorder and PTSD in Migrants – Initial Findings on the Efficacy and Feasibility of CBT-Biofeedback. 10th European Conference on Traumatic Stress (ECOTS), Opatija, Croatia, 06.06.2007

Maier, T., Mörgeli, HP., Müller, J., Schick, M., Schinzel, L. Personality and ego-structure in traumatized migrants

This study applied the two diagnostic tools of Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP) and Axis IV of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis (OPD) to traumatized migrants. The objective of the study is to investigate the applicability of the tools to native speakers of other languages who have suffered serious trauma and to investigate whether relevant results emerge compared with other populations.

C.f.: Maier T (2007) Personality and Ego-structure in Traumatized Migrants. Oral presentation. 10th European Conference on Traumatic Stress, Opatija, 07.06.07

Maier, T., Müller, J., Schmidt, M., Schnyder, U., Bopp, M., Brügger, U., Gutzwiller, F. Mental Health and Healthcare Utilization in Asylum Seekers in Switzerland. A Prospective Study

The pilot study is currently under way for this major epidemiological study. The project is being run in collaboration with the Federal Office for Migration, the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine of the University of Zurich and the Institute for Health Economics of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur. The objective is to record the (mental) health of newly arrived asylum-seekers and to re-examine them several times over five years. In parallel with this direct investigation into participants, heath insurance data on medical services used is recorded and considered in relation to the other data.

In collaboration with the Berlin Treatment Centre for Victims of Torture and the software company X-Puls, AFK Zurich has developed a computer program which facilitates the use of questionnaires and self-rating tools for patients, irrespective of their language and their ability to read. The software platform permits fast, easy insertion and amendment of questions and questionnaires, a wide range of types of script is supported and all questions and potential answers selected can be input simultaneously in spoken form so that the questions may be presented in writing or acoustically, as required. This software can be used on ordinary PCs with standard capacity and operating systems, and on touch-screen computers in particular. The records generated can be exported into other programs (e.g. SPSS) and are thus easy to use for statistical analysis. There is no need for the time-consuming secondary input of questionnaire results. This software is commercially available with an individual or multiple licence (Springer Medizin Verlag Heidelberg, 2008).