Developing guidelines on working with interpreters in mental health: opening up an international dialogue?

Abstract

In 2010 the International Association of Migration recorded 214 million people as having migrated across national borders. In 2009, 30.8 million people were recorded as residing in European Union member countries of which they were not citizens. The real numbers are likely to be even higher than those officially recorded, as the Council of Europe estimated that approximately 5.5 million irregular migrants were residing in the EU in 2006. Figures world wide are also likely to be more than those officially recorded. The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity Report asserts that one in four people experience some kind of mental health problem in any given year. This suggests that there will be a section of any population who are both experiencing a mental health difficulty and are not fluent in the language of the country in which they are currently resident. In this case, they are likely to require the services of an interpreter to enable them to communicate and receive appropriate care from a clinician. Psychological work that takes place with the mediation of an interpreter has been the focus of clinical interest for some time. The complexities which arise in such work can be compounded by cross cultural differences in communication and understanding of mental health, offering both opportunities and challenges for clinicians, interpreters and patients. As a result of clinical work and research undertaken with in the UK, the authors were asked by the British Psychological Society to write national guidelines for psychologists on working with interpreters in health settings. These are reproduced below (with the permission of the British Psychological Society) in a shortened and updated form. We would welcome the opportunity to open a debate with colleagues in other countries about issues relating to interpreters in health settings and about these guidelines and the principles underlying them.

Keywords:

• interpreter guidelines
• mental health
• international dialogue