Mental health appointments are some of the most demanding work a healthcare Interpreter takes on.
What a patient says, and how they say it, can shape a clinical decision, so meaning and tone matter as much as the facts. Here’s what to expect, and how to prepare.
Before the appointment
Ask for a short briefing with the clinician before you go in. It’s your chance to find out the purpose of the appointment, agree your roles, and decide together how to handle anything difficult that might come up. Research on interpreted Mental Health Act assessments found that briefings like this help prevent misunderstandings later. [Source: University of Manchester, INforMHAA]
Your role
You mediate communication; you aren’t the patient’s advocate. The clinician is responsible for the assessment and any decision that follows. [Source: University of Manchester, INforMHAA] Your job is to make sure both sides understand each other fully.
That often means interpreting for equivalent meaning, not word for word. A patient’s choice of words, hesitations or changes in tone may all be clinically important, so they need to come across as faithfully as possible. Confidentiality and impartiality are central throughout. Using family members to interpret raises confidentiality and safeguarding concerns, which is one reason professional Interpreters are needed. [Source: BJPsych Bulletin, ‘Falling on deaf ears’]
Terminology
Mental health work, and Mental Health Act assessments in particular, use terms that can look familiar but carry a narrow legal or clinical meaning. If you translate them literally, that meaning can be lost. [Source: University of Manchester, INforMHAA] Learning these terms, in English and in your other language, is part of your preparation.
Culture
Patients may describe distress in ways that are shaped by their culture, and some expressions are hard to convey accurately. Interpreters can act as ‘cultural brokers’, helping clinicians understand how distress is expressed. [Source: BJPsych Bulletin, ‘Falling on deaf ears’] Interpreters are often unsure how much cultural explanation to give, so agree with the clinician beforehand how you’ll flag something that may need context. [Source: University of Manchester, INforMHAA]
If you know the patient
In smaller language communities, you may share social networks with the patient, which can affect trust. [Source: BJPsych Bulletin, ‘Falling on deaf ears’] As in all interpreting work, you shouldn’t interpret for someone you know. If you recognise the name on the assignment details, tell your client or agency well before the appointment. If you only realise later, tell them as soon as you know.
After the appointment
A short debrief with the clinician gives you both space to reflect on how the session went, any language or cultural challenges, and how you’re feeling. Interpreters rarely get a debrief, so it’s worth asking for one. [Source: University of Manchester, INforMHAA]
Looking after yourself
Mental health sessions can be emotionally heavy, and Interpreters can experience vicarious trauma, often with little organisational support. [Source: BJPsych Bulletin, ‘Falling on deaf ears’] Guidance for psychologists covers the duty of care that clinicians owe to the Interpreters they work with. [Source: British Psychological Society, Working with Interpreters] Take that seriously, and build in time to recover after difficult sessions.
Preparing for healthcare interpreting
Our DPSI Health course prepares you for the Degree-level recognised qualification for UK Public Service Interpreting in healthcare, with specialist vocabulary across areas including mental health.
Our Nonverbal Communication Masterclass looks at body language and cultural cues, and how they affect your interpreting.
