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Professional Interpreters and Vicarious Trauma

An Australian Perspective

Bibliographic Data

ID4639441
AuthorsMiranda Lai (0000-0002-2038-1547, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, corresponding author), Susie Costello (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
Year2021
Volume31
Issue1
Pages70-85
Publication date2021-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1049732320951962
PMID32856540
OpenAlexW3082962753
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited42

This qualitative study is conducted via focus groups with 47 Australian public service interpreters to investigate their responses to vicarious trauma (VT) in their practice, the influence of culture, and their views on how to maintain mental well-being. While participant interpreters employ various strategies to deal with traumatic client content and other work stressors, cultural inhibitors are found to prevent some from sharing their emotional vulnerability or seeking professional help. They indicated that they want to be treated with respect and as part of the professional team, rather than a machine or a shadow. Professional development is needed to clarify the limits of confidentiality, explain trauma and its vicarious possibilities, and to establish interpreters' professional entitlement to briefing and debriefing. Stakeholders including educators, professional associations, interpreting agencies, and other professions and institutional users of interpreting services should work respectfully and collaboratively to prevent and help interpreters recover from VT

Burnout · Compassion fatigue · Confidentiality · Debriefing · Focus group · Interpreter · Medical education · Political science · Qualitative research · Sociology · Stressor · Clinical Psychology · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Social Psychology

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  • Exploring ethical dilemmas encountered by public service interpreters and their effect on job satisfaction

    Open Access•Anni-Kaisa Leminen, Sari Hokkanen•Translation Spaces•2024

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  • Outsourcing Transcription

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Unique citing works14
Citations per year3,5
Citation span2022 - 2026 (5)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 13
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