Pauline Lane

Working with interpreters across language and culture in mental health

Background: Mental health professionals need to be able to work effectively with interpreters to promote good clinical practice and ensure equality of access and service delivery as well as meet the requirements of European law. The process offers practitioners an opportunity to enrich their understanding of the diverse idioms of distress, cultural constructions and explanatory health beliefs. Aims: This paper draws upon the literature and clinical accounts to provide a set of positive practice guidelines on working with interpreters in mental health. Method: Key indicator words for the literature review were “interpreters and mental health” and “language and mental health”. Papers that related purely to linguistic theory, cultural theory, or sign language interpreting were not included. To assist with triangulation of the data the authors also drew upon accounts of support and supervision groups for interpreters and bicultural workers, expert panels on the topic, training programmes and published guidelines for interpreters and clinicians. Results and Conclusions: Mental health services around the world need to be accessible, inclusive, appropriate and accord with best practice and national legislation. The paper reviews opportunities and challenges in working with interpreters in mental health services and offers some positive practice guidelines for clinicians based on the available literature. Declaration of interest: None.

Interpreting in mental health, roles and dynamics in practice

In mental health, communication is the sine qua non, not only for considering a diagnosis, but also for developing a treatment plan. Words, on the one hand, and the relationship between the clinician and the service user, on the other, are two of the main components of mental health and therapeutic treatment. The presence of an interpreter has the potential to have an effect on the dynamics of the mental health or therapeutic encounter. This may pose a series of challenges and opportunities for all three members of the triad. This paper reports on a study conducted with interpreters working with recent migrants, mainly refugees and asylum seekers at two organisations based in the South of England. Two focus-groups with interpreters were conducted. Several differences between interpreting in mental health and interpreting in other settings were noted by the interpreters. Five overarching themes were identified in this study. These were: the role of the interpreter in the mental health encounter, the dynamics within the therapeutic triad, the interpreter-clinician relationship, power and alliances within the room and the personhood of the interpreter. The first two themes are presented within this paper, although the themes are not entirely discrete categorisations.

Working towards promoting positive mental health and well‐being for older people from BME communities

This article identifies some of the key issues that need to be considered when trying to promote positive mental health and well‐being for older people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. The authors say that while developing a cultural understanding is important for providing good care for BME elders, it is also important to recognise that a number of structural or organisational issues that go beyond language or culture can affect health and access to health. The article also promotes the significant role of voluntary sector organisations in developing culturally appropriate mental health promotion services for BME elders.

Unequal Care: An Introduction to Understanding UK Policy and the Impact on Asylum‐Seeking Children

This paper identifies the major relevant legislation and procedures which affect health and social care provision for asylum‐seeking children in the UK. It discusses some of the dilemmas asylum‐seeking children may experience, as well as issues that practitioners may need to consider to ensure that services are appropriate, accessible and non‐stigmatising. The paper also identifies the different ‘categories’ of asylum‐seeking children who are supported under different sections of the Children Act and how they can result in unequal levels of social care, and identifies some positive practice examples for children who have been trafficked.