What is a problem all too common for medical interpreters? When Kelly Henriquez asked that question at a panel on interpreter self-care at a national conference, the answer she got was, Loneliness.

Henriquez, a dual-certified Spanish medical/healthcare interpreter working in Virginia, noted these trends:

• Many interpreters don’t know where to turn for help.
• Fourteen percent reported they never got training on how to address their mental health needs.
• In-person interpreters were more likely to get an emotional boost from their work.
• Remote workers were more likely to report a decline in mental health.
• Certification such as that offered by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters was a predictor of how many tools interpreters had to fight feelings of isolation and loneliness.

For more detail, and for self-care tips, find Henriquez’s blog post on the subject here.