Secondary Traumatic Stress of Interpreters Working in Psychotherapy: Protective, Risk and Interpreter-Specific...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Trauma Studies
• Sociolinguistics

Background:

• Psychotherapy interpreters face emotionally demanding situations, risking secondary traumatic stress (STS).
• Existing research primarily focuses on community interpreters, necessitating data on psychotherapeutic settings.
• Understanding risk factors for STS in this population is crucial for targeted support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of STS among psychotherapy interpreters.
• To identify general and interpreter-specific risk factors associated with STS in this professional group.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-three psychotherapy interpreters completed validated instruments assessing STS, distress, resources, competence, occupational distress, empathy, flight experience, and cultural identification.
• Correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to examine risk factors.

Main Results:

• 14.29% of interpreters exceeded the clinical cutoff for STS.
• Interpreter-specific factors significantly predicted STS (ΔR² = 0.25, p < 0.001).
• Flight experience negatively correlated with STS (β = -0.54), while identification with the patient's cultural background positively correlated (β = 0.27).

Conclusions:

• Psychotherapy interpreters with flight experience and strong client cultural identification are particularly vulnerable to STS.
• General psychological distress, resources, competence, occupational distress, and empathy did not significantly predict STS.
• Support and training for these interpreters should prioritize their personal experiences and cultural dynamics.