Guideline Study as a Capacity Building Initiative for Mental Health Interpreting: An Evaluation with International Criteria

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate the compliance of a guideline developed for mental health interpreting with international standards through the example of the Interpreting Guideline in Community-Based Health and Psychosocial Support Services prepared in Turkey. As a starting point, the critical role of interpreters in overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers in mental health and psychosocial support services was emphasized. The deficiencies in interpreters' access to professional standards were addressed. It has been stated that there is an increasing need for interpretation, mainly due to forced migrations. It necessitates the preparation of guidelines that provide comprehensive guidance for interpreters and experts working with interpreters in these services. The article examines the field guidelines prepared by the Turkish Red Crescent and evaluates its compliance with the internationally accepted capacity-building steps and guideline preparation criteria. The literature on guideline development and evaluation studies in the mental health field was reviewed in this context. In the literature review, it has been determined that international standards such as AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation) and AGREE-HS stand out. Then, the capacity-building efforts of the Turkish Red Crescent and the structure, content and scope of the guidelines prepared within this framework were analysed according to these standards. The evaluation results revealed that the Turkish Red Crescent Guideline largely complies with basic ethical and scientific standards in psychosocial support interpretation. However, it has been determined that the guideline needs improvement in applicability, update plans and comprehensiveness. The study draws attention to the critical importance of compliance with the guidelines prepared at the national level with international standards. It aims to contribute to this field's institutionalization and professionalization process of capacity-building studies. In this context, developing such guidelines following international criteria and local conditions is considered an important step to improve the quality of translation and interpreting services.