Service Providers' Experiences of Interpreter-Assisted Mental Health Care for People With Refugee Backgrounds

Lack of a common language is one of the major barriers to providing mental health services for people with refugee backgrounds. However, while research shows that using interpreters can present some challenges, there is little research that focuses on people with refugee backgrounds, particularly research that considers the specific challenges and benefits related to interpreter-mediated mental health sessions. As such, this study aimed to investigate the experiences of both interpreters and mental health practitioners (MHPs) regarding the potential ways of improving interpreter-assisted mental health care for people with refugee backgrounds. Seventeen participants (eight MHPs and nine interpreters) working with refugees in Australia were interviewed. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Analysis returned four major themes: "importance of briefing and debriefing," "interpreters as part of the therapeutic relationship" (with two subthemes & mdash;"trust" and "choosing the same interpreter"), "interpreter-client interactions," and "specialized training." This study found that interpreters have various roles and are a key part of the therapeutic relationship with MHPs and people with refugee backgrounds. Future studies should investigate training for both interpreters and MHPs, as well as developing new guidelines specific to interpreter-assisted mental health care for people with refugee backgrounds. Public Significance Statement This study shows that interpreters are a key part of mental health care for many people with refugee backgrounds, providing both direct language translation as well as expert cultural knowledge concerning mental health and illness. The study points to the need for training for both interpreters and mental health clinicians regarding the role of the interpreter in the provision of mental health care as well as their integral part of the therapeutic relationship developed between clinicians and refugee clients.