Sign Language Interpreter Well-Being

Abstract

Purpose

To quantitatively assess sign language interpreter well-being.

Design

Descriptive, cross-sectional.

Practice settings

Staff, educational, community/freelance, video relay, and/or video remote.

Sample

Certified interpreters bilingual in English and American Sign Language, ≥18 years old, and interpreting ≥10 hours/week.

Measure

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Worker Well-Being Questionnaire (NIOSH WellBQ).

Analysis

Descriptive statistics evaluated well-being and internal consistency was calculated as a psychometric property.

Results

170 interpreters (47.6 ± 11.6 years old; 31.9 ± 11.7 hours/week) were surveyed. They were neutral about a culture of health (2.6 ± 1.0 out of 4) and safety practices (2.8 ± 0.9 out of 4) at work. Regarding work-related incivility, 5% were sexually harassed, 13% experienced physical violence, and 26% reported bullying. In the past 30 days, interpreters had between 7 to 9 days of poor physical or mental health. 57% had cognitive functioning limitations, 42% experienced work limitations due to a physical, mental, or emotional condition, and 43% were worried about maintaining their standard of living and paying monthly bills. Internal consistency was slightly lower for home, community, and society (α = 0.665), otherwise it was acceptable for all domains (α ≥ 0.785).

Conclusion

The NIOSH WellBQ is a valid measure that offers a comprehensive quantitative assessment of worker well-being. Areas of focus for future health promotion practice and research with sign language interpreters include fostering a health culture and safety climate at work, addressing work-related incivility, and promoting physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, and financial health.