FEATURES
18 The Linguist Vol/63 No/3
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How can interpreters with vicarious trauma support their
mental health and professionalism, asks Artemis Sakorafa
I
n today's multilingual and interconnected world, the
ability of interpreters to bridge language gaps and
convey the deeper meaning of words across languages
is nothing short of remarkable, but with this skill comes
an often overlooked challenge. Vicarious trauma (VT),
also known as secondary traumatisation,
1
is a process of
absorbing and internalising the trauma of others.
Described by Charles Figley as the "cost of caring",
2
it can
take a toll on the mental health and emotional well-being
of many interpreters working in public service settings.
In the field of trauma research, evidence has shown
that psychological distress affects not only those who
have been personally traumatised but also healthcare
professionals who work with such people.
3
The American
Counseling Association (ACA) describes vicarious trauma
as the "emotional residue of exposure that counselors
have from working with people as they hear their trauma
stories and become witnesses to the pain, fear, and
terror that trauma survivors have endured".
4
As interpreters navigate stories of trauma, suffering and
adversity, in settings as diverse as courts, police stations
and conflict zones, they can find themselves absorbing
the emotional burden of these narratives. Those who
work in healthcare settings, for example, may interpret
for terminally ill people, patients experiencing severe
pain and children struggling with serious diseases.
Symptoms and triggers
There are a few warning signs of vicarious trauma that
may manifest physically or behaviourally, such as burnout,
compassion fatigue, increased stress, helplessness, fear,
irritability, impatience, loss of interest, withdrawal, anxiety,
detachment and survivor guilt.
5
Interpreters use the first-
person singular pronoun (e.g. "I am in pain" instead of
"the patient is in pain") to interpret the statements of
interlocutors, amplifying the embodiment of emotions and
increasing the chance of potential traumatic impacts.
6
Working with trauma
Empathy with the client, combined with the emotionally
charged content of the material to be interpreted, may
cause the interpreter to suffer secondary trauma. It can
also trigger some of the interpreter's past personal
experiences and emotions, which may have a long-
lasting effect on the interpreter's mental health and
professional performance. Interpreting for a terminally ill
patient after losing a family member to cancer, or
during an abortion appointment after experiencing a
miscarriage, are two examples of assignments that
may emotionally affect an interpreter and trigger a
traumatic response.
A PROBLEM
SHARED
Sharing our experiences
with colleagues who
understand the nature
of the job can reduce
the stigma associated
with negative feelings
after a difficult
interpreting project
IMAGES
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