Enhancing Mental Health Communication: Multilingual and Accessible Solutions through the TRIMENS Project.

Abstract

The TRIMENS project is an innovative interdisciplinary initiative that integrates expertise from Psychology, Journalism, and Translation to tackle a critical global challenge: improving the communication of mental health information. With a focus on reducing stigma and promoting accessibility, TRIMENS contributes to advancing research at the nexus of communication and translation in specialized and public domains. The project adopts a groundbreaking approach by creating and adapting textual corpora in Spanish, English, and German across diverse formats, including scientific articles, patient brochures, and easy-to-read materials. This work addresses linguistic, cognitive, and cultural barriers, directly benefiting patients with cognitive difficulties, non-native speakers, and their support networks. Multilingual glossaries and terminological tools, hosted on an accessible digital platform, further enhance access to accurate and simplified information for both healthcare professionals and patients. Additionally, an analysis of mental health media discourse offers critical insights to improve the quality of public communication. TRIMENS is grounded in a theoretical framework informed by translation studies focused on medical discourse, emphasizing its essential role in disseminating scientific knowledge. Methodologically, the project employs textual analysis, corpus linguistics, and accessibility research, providing a robust interdisciplinary perspective. The presentation will highlight the project’s originality and relevance by situating TRIMENS within broader mental health communication challenges, detailing its methods, and showcasing its outcomes.