As mental health professionals seek to disseminate information in many languages in order to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population, it is important to consider the methods of written translation that the field is choosing to employ. The method chosen for translation can affect the accuracy and usability of the translated text. This study begins with a survey of current literature, the results of which suggest that the most popular translation method in the mental health field is back-translation, a translation method based in the premise that translating a text back into its original English after it has been translated into a second language provides an accurate indication of the success of the translation. This study then compares back-translation with an alternative translation approach based in skopostheorie, an area of translation theory that asserts that translational activity should be ultimately grounded in the purpose of the translation rather than the objective equivalency of the source and target texts. Each of the two approaches is applied separately in the translation of the Centers for Disease Control's handout, "Helping Parents Cope with Disaster," into Spanish and Chinese. The two resulting target texts for each language are compared in terms of linguistic equivalence by review committees and compared in terms of usability by individuals from the target audiences. Feedback from reviewers and audience members in both languages suggest that the skopostheorie based approach to translation may facilitate higher quality translation than back-translation in terms of both equivalence and usability. Suggestions for mental health professionals engaging in translation are then offered, as well as directions for future research.

Given the increasing number of Chinese international students attending American universities, an important study would be to consider problems arising during these students' initial transition period, as they acculturate into the American culture and educational system. Taking this information into account, university counseling centers, campus services, and those who interact with and support these students would be better able to assist in easing the initial and ongoing stress of living in a foreign country and adapting to a new way of life. Thirteen Chinese international students participated in qualitative interviews conducted in Mandarin Chinese, each participant's native language. Each participant was born and raised in mainland China, had never travelled to the US before studying abroad, had no direct family relative in the US, and had studied at a university in the US for more than two years. In order to gain a better understanding of Chinese international students' initial transition to live and study in the US, a qualitative research design was utilized. This study used a collaborative hermeneutic approach to obtain a valid and common understanding of the meaning of each transcribed interview. Data analysis followed the hermeneutic circle, which emphasizes that the meaning of the text can be better understood through reading individual parts and comparing meanings of parts and whole. These study used a team to analyze data, thus avoiding the narrow reliance on individual interpretations. Based on their personal perspectives, participants reported their experiences encountered during their initial transition into the US. More specifically, information shared during individual interviews with Chinese international students indicated specific experiences in regard to their initial and ongoing adjustment to the U.S. environment, including how they made sense of their experiences and how their ways of thinking and behaving changed as a result of being influenced by their experiences interfacing with U.S. culture. Participants also shared their strategies they perceived as helpful in specific situations. Based on an analysis of participants interviews, themes that arose from the interviews included (a) difficulties and challenges they faced as new immigrants; (b) differences they encountered in respect to their homeland and the new environment, including language/communication, culture, academic study and learning, living in the US, and psychological adjustments; (c) positive growth they acknowledged from facing challenges and adapting to their new environment; and (d) acknowledging the need to accept help and how to more proactively seek and receive help as needed. Implications for more actively assisting and including Chinese international students are discussed.