About the Workshop

This interactive workshop will improve knowledge, skills and the confidence required to work effectively in partnership with interpreters and as an interpreter in humanitarian and mental health settings.

  • The workshop will be based on guidance written by the authors and a colleague for the British Psychological Society.
  • Working effectively with interpreters should be a skill in the repertoire of every psychologist., given the multicultural world we live in and to improve social inclusion for people who have migrated.
  • This will also contribute to ensuring that equal opporunities are upheld and that certain groups are not denied access to mental health services.
  • Interpreters may also assist with teaching psychologists about diverse cultural views surrounding mental health and wellbeing.

In a review concducted by the World Helath Organisation, Priebe et al (2016) noted that language barriers were considered one of the most crucial factors in restricting access to mental health services for people who had migrated and had limited language proficiency in the language of the new country.

Learning Objectives

  1. Participants will the importance of the role of interpreters and bicultural workers  when working with people who had migrated including refugees and asylum seekers.
  2. Participants will be able to critically evaluate  how contextual factors may influence  access to and take up of resources and opportunities including mental health services by people who have migrated.
  3. Participants will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of working safely, ethically and efficiently in partnership with an interpreter
  4. Participants will gain some awareness of  the impact of working as an interpreter in mental health and humanitarian contexts

Bibliography

Tribe, R. & Bhugra, D. (2024) (eds) Social Justice, Social Discrimination and Mental Health: Theory, Practice, and Professional Issues. London: Brunner- Routledge

Mental health and wellbeing portal for refugees, asylum-seekers, vulnerable migrants, and health and social care professionals

Tribe, R. & Charura, D. (2023) Counselling Psychologists working in Human Rights & Social Justice. Clinical Psychology Forum, 369 ,37-46

Bhugra, D., Tribe, R. & Poulter, D. (2022) Social Justice, health equity and Mental Health South African Journal of Psychology 52,1,3-10.

Tribe, R. & Thompson, K. (2022) Working with Interpreters in Mental Health. International Review of Psychiatry

Persaud, A., Valsraj, K., Gnanapragasam, S.,& Tribe, R. (2022) Time for hard choices – a new global order for mental health. International Journal of Social Psychiatry.

Tribe, R. & Farsimadan, F. (2022) Guidance for Clinicians when working with refugees and asylum seekers International Review of Psychiatry , 34,6 .

Moussaoui., D. Bhugra,, R. Tribe. & A. Ventriglio (2021) (eds) Migration, Mental Health and Mental Illness New York: Springer.

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