Using American Sign Language Interpreters to Facilitate Research Among Deaf Adults: Lessons Learned

Background: Health care providers commonly discuss depressive symptoms with clients, enabling earlier intervention. Such discussions rarely occur between providers and Deaf clients. Most culturally Deaf adults experience early-onset hearing loss, self-identify as part of a unique culture, and communicate in the visual language of American Sign Language (ASL). Communication barriers abound, and depression screening instruments may be unreliable. Purpose: To train and use ASL interpreters for a qualitative study describing depressive symptoms among Deaf adults. Method: Training included research versus community interpreting. During data collection, interpreters translated to and from voiced English and ASL. Results: Training eliminated potential problems during data collection. Unexpected issues included participants asking for “my interpreter” and worrying about confidentiality or friendship in a small community. Conclusions: Lessons learned included the value of careful training of interpreters prior to initiating data collection, including resolution of possible role conflicts and ensuring conceptual equivalence in real-time interpreting.