Stress and Coping in Traumatised Interpreters: a pilot study of refugee interpreters working for a humanitarian organisation
Holmgren, H., Søndergaard, H., & Elklit, A. (2003). Stress and coping in traumatised interpreters: A pilot study of refugee interpreters working for a humanitarian organisation. Intervention,1(3), 22-28.
Twelve Kosovo-Albanian interpreters at the Danish Red Cross (DRC) asylum reception centre participated in an interview about their background and work. The majority had fled from the Serbian persecution in Kosovo, which involved living in a permanently hyper-vigilant state, with intense fear of rape, ethnic suppression and civil war. All of the interpreters reported a heavy workload and a high level of distress. The most distressing part was interpreting at interviews for psychologists, where stories of torture, annihilation, persecution, and loss were told. A considerate and respectful treatment of this staff group may enhance the quality of therapeutic work as the interpreters get an opportunity to contribute with their culture specific knowledge.
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