BMJ 1995;311:1439 (25 November)

Letters

Beware of the distorting interpreter

EDITOR,--Michael Phelan and Sue Parkman's article on the problems that arise when an interpreter is used during clinical work is instructive.1 A small point that I would like to add concerns personal feelings and overt or covert interests or prejudices. Phelan and Parkman mention this as an important issue when one is counting on "friends or relatives" of the client, but it can also be important when interpreters are used, as I found when interviewing a young widow from an Asian culture.

I first met the family when I saw both parents about their son's behavioural problems at primary school. The father was much older than his wife, and it was clear that he thought that his son was perfect and that the mother was supposed to serve the boy, whatever issue was involved.

When the father died of a sudden heart attack we heard reports of the mother's grief . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

How To Do It: Work with an interpreter
Michael Phelan and Sue Parkman
BMJ 1995 311: 555-557. [Extract] [Full Text]

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