Abstract
Language concordant mental health care is the gold standard in supporting deaf people, however, there are not enough mental health providers who use American Sign Language (ASL). Use of interpreters remains necessary for provision of services. There is a chronic shortage of interpreters and even smaller numbers qualified for work in mental health settings. Many professional ASL/English interpreters choose not to work in mental health. Through qualitative interviews, this study explored reasons why. Participants shared their mental health interpreting experiences and reasons for no longer working in the setting. Data showed that a variety of demands related to the work of interpreting in mental health created substantial barriers for them. For one, they did not have any specialized training. There is only one comprehensive mental health interpreter training in the U.S. Participants experienced lack of preparedness, difficulty understanding language impacted by mental health symptoms, challenging intrapersonal responses, and limited access to structured professional support. This study examined barriers to the work of mental health interpreting, explored recommendations, and is a step in the direction toward identifying facilitators to mental health interpreting.
Exit Requirement
Thesis
Date of Award
12-10-2022
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies
Committee Chair
Amanda Smith
Committee Member
Audrey Ramirez-Loudenback
Committee Member
Alexander Wilkins
Keywords
interpreting, deaf, sign language interpreting, deaf mental health, mental health interpreting, interpreting specialization, interpreter training
Language
eng
Type (DCMI Terms)
Text; Image; StillImage
Recommended Citation
Adler, E. (2022). “I Don’t Do Mental Health:” Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Interpreting (master's thesis). Western Oregon University, Monmouth, Oregon. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/theses/226
Rights Statement
Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 03/08/2023, this item is in copyright. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use.
Rights Statement URL
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Rights Statement
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).