Working with interpreters in mental health

281 million people were recorded as having migrated across national borders by the United Nations in 2021, this equates to approximately 3.6 percent of the world’s population. Forced migrants/refugees account for 12 per cent of all international migrants. A percentage of these people will not speak the language of their new country fluently. If they are to access and utilize mental health services, they will require access to an interpreter. This paper provides guidance on working with interpreters in health settings when the work is either face to face or on-line. These guidelines are based on those written by the authors for the British Psychological Society. Working effectively with interpreters should be a skill in the repertoire of every clinician. This is to ensure that equal opportunities are upheld and that certain groups (including forced migrants) are not denied access to mental health services. Interpreters may also assist with teaching clinicians about diverse cultural views surrounding mental health and well-being. They may also advise on idioms of distress, cultural meanings and expression of emotional problems across cultures, explanatory health models and contextual factors which may help extend the repertoire of clinicians. The guidelines cover key recommendations for practice, booking and finding an interpreter, preparation before the consultation/meeting, practical considerations, preparation with the interpreter, during the meeting/consultation, issues to address after the meeting, written translations, psychometric testing, working by telephone or online and other issues to consider when working with an interpreter. These are reproduced below (with the permission of the BPS) in a shortened and updated form.

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Review of Psychiatry on 10 May 2022, available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09540261.2022.2073202