Integration of interpreters in mental health interventions with children and adolescents: The need for a framework

Abstract

Few empirical studies have detailed the specificities of working with interpreters in mental healthcare for children. The integration of interpreters in clinical teams in child mental healthcare was explored in two clinics, in Montreal and Paris. Four focus groups were conducted with interpreters and clinicians. Participants described the development of the working alliance between interpreters and clinicians, the delineation of interpreters’ roles, and the effects of translation on the people in the interaction. Integrating interpreters in a clinical team is a slow process in which clinicians and interpreters need to reflect upon a common framework. An effective framework favours trust, mutual understanding, and valorization of the contribution of each to the therapeutic task. The interpreter’s presence and activities seem to have some therapeutic value.