Psychological distress, exhaustion, and work-related correlates among interpreters working in refugee care: results of a nationwide online survey in Germany. Issue 1 (31st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Geiling, Angelika; Knaevelsrud, Christine; Böttche, Maria; Stammel, Nadine
• Is Part Of: European journal of psychotraumatology. Volume 13:Issue 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12-31
• Subjects: Interpreters -- refugees -- distress -- trauma -- working conditions; Intérpretes -- refugiados -- malestar -- agotamiento -- trauma -- condiciones laborales; 口译员、难民、痛苦、疲惫、创伤、工作环境; In a nationwide online survey in Germany, psychological distress, exhaustion, and their correlates were investigated among interpreters working in refugee care -- Work-related variables and age were found to be correlates of psychological distress and exhaustion; Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Periodicals; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; 616.8521
• DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2022.2046954
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2000-8198

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background: Due to language barriers, interpreters are crucial for refugee care in the countries of resettlement. However, interpreters are often faced with distressing working conditions, such as precarious work circumstances, lack of supervision, or exposure to their clients' traumatic experiences. Recent studies examining interpreters' mental health focussed primarily on secondary traumatic stress. The present study aimed to gain a better understanding of psychological distress and exhaustion among interpreters in refugee care by examining these factors in the work context as well as their possible work-related correlates. Method: An online survey was carried out in Germany, which included several standardized questionnaires regarding distress, work- and client-related exhaustion, job satisfaction, and trauma exposure (BSI-18, CBI, JSS, HTQ, PCL-5). Interpreters were recruited primarily through psychosocial treatment centres and interpreter pools in Germany. Results: In total, 164 interpreters were included in the analyses. The participants showed increased psychological distress, and around 7% screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In an exploratory regression analysis, younger age ( β = −.25, p = .004) emerged as correlate of psychological distress, whereas dissatisfaction with payment ( β = −.21, p = .04) and a higher amount of traumatic content ( β = .22, p = .001) were associated with work-related exhaustion, and dissatisfaction with recognition was associated with client-related exhaustion ( β = −.35, p = .001). Conclusion: The results point to increased stress levels among interpreters for refugees. Moreover, they indicate that interpreters' distress is primarily correlated with work-related circumstances, thus suggesting the need for a greater work-related support structure for interpreters.