Interpreting practices in a psychiatric hospital : interpreters' experiences and accuracy of interpreting of key psychiatric terms
Date
2007-12
Authors
Kilian, Sanja
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate interpreting practices within the
psychiatric hospital San Marco1, in the Western Cape. More specifically, the aim was to
determine what factors might lead to the obstruction of accuracy by asking employees
that act as official and unofficial interpreters to report on certain issues relating to
interpreting practices. The second objective of the study was to gain some understanding
of what interpreters experience when doing interpreting especially since unofficial
interpreters (nurses, cleaners and administrative staff) are often used to act as interpreters
within South Africa’s public health services and this may not only have implications for
accuracy but also for interpreters’ own mental health.
A cross-sectional qualitative interview design was used. The research participants
consisted of eight employees of San Marco, (including two administrative clerks/
interpreters, two bilingual security guards, and four bilingual nurses), and two bilingual
psychiatrists, who, though not being employees of San Marco, yet have experience in
interpreting while working as psychiatrists within psychiatric institutions in South Africa.
Participants were asked to respond to semi-structured questions. In addition, participants
took part in a structured task in which they were asked to translate and back-translate
commonly-used diagnostic questions. Content analysis was used to analyse data collected
from semi-structured interviews and participants’ translations and back-translations were
checked for inaccuracies. The analysis of interviews revealed the following information:
• not all of the participants who act as interpreters are in fact functionally bilingual
in the context with which they work
• none of the interpreters are trained in interpreting; and
• a clear distinction could be drawn between interpreters who have training in
mental health compared to those who lack training in mental health or psychiatry.
Furthermore participants’ translations of the nine questions were approximately right.
Participants’ translations conveyed more or less the same messages as what was intended
with the original English questions. In fact the translations were fairly accurate for
untrained interpreters. However, participants were not always specific as to what they
were asking about. Interpreters need to translate questions in such a way that it is
diagnostically specific in order for the clinician to make an accurate diagnosis. It is
crucial that patients have a clear understanding about what the interpreter are asking them
and this was not always evident in participants’ translations.
The abovementioned results may for obvious reasons lead to the obstruction of accurate
interpretation however it should not be attributed to a lack of competence on the
interpreters part but should rather be attributed to challenges in a health system which has
inherited a history of discrimination and continues to discriminate against certain
patients, even when clinicians and interpreters alike may be doing their best not to
discriminate. The problem is structural rather than individual, and needs to be addressed
as such, and in the context of competing demands in public health care. Although the interviews did reveal valuable information regarding the obstruction of
accuracy it should be kept in mind that an analysis of actual recorded interpreting
sessions between the clinician, patient and interpreter is necessary for a more in depth
understanding of the obstruction of accuracy as investigated in this study and such a
study is currently in the planning phase.
Description
Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Keywords
Interpreting, Psychiatry, Interpreters, Translating and interpreting -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects, Intercultural communication -- South Africa, Psychotherapy patients -- South Africa -- Interviews, Translators -- Research -- South Africa, Dissertations -- Psychology, Theses -- Psychology