Citation

Vásquez C, Javier RA. Hosp. Community Psychiatry 1991; 42(2): 163-165.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/ps.42.2.163

PMID

1997365

Abstract

The information obtained from a non-English-speaking psychiatric patient through an untrained interpreter can be inaccurate and misleading. The authors briefly outline the most common errors that untrained interpreters make, including omission, addition, condensation, substitution, and role exchange. They present two case examples, one in which misinterpretation led to minimization of a patient's suicide attempt and the other in which a patient's suicidality was exaggerated. They conclude that clinicians should observe the behaviors of both the patient and the interpreter for indications of errors that might distort or obscure the communication.

Language: en

Keywords

Depressive Disorder; Diagnostic Errors; Female; Humans; Language; Male; Mental Disorders; Physician-Patient Relations; Psychotherapy; Suicide, Attempted; Translating