Panic Attacks

Introductory Summary: Ms. Figueroa is seeing Dr. Jennings, a psychologist, because she has what she describes as “episodes.”

Disclaimer:: This text is an original work of fiction based on real scenarios. Any similarities between people or places are purely coincidental.

Participants

Contributors

Authors

Kelly Grzech

Nanyi Mateo

Editors

Devin Gilbert

Yohana Imperio

Audio Engineer

Omar Mendoza

Voice Actors

Full Summary: Ms. Figueroa is seeing Dr. Jennings, a psychologist, because she has what she describes as “episodes.” Dr. Jennings seems to think she has anxiety and has experienced panic attacks. They both discuss the onset of her symptoms, what seems to cause the episodes, and why Ms. Figueroa is under so much stress. Dr. Jennings also administers an informal depression screening.

Main Challenges: Mental health interpretation can be difficult because of the qualitative nature of patients’ responses during encounters, as opposed to the quantitative responses medical doctors often seek out. This poses a number of challenges in terms of the length and complexity of utterances, as well as the wide range of potential subjects (and vocabulary) that may come up. Familiarity with words used to describe feelings is a must. In some cases, patients receiving mental health care may be hypersensitive to the demeanor and actions of others, so it is important to conduct yourself in an empathetic manner while maintaining the boundaries of the interpreter role.

Key Terminology and Vocabulary

This dialogue is rated T for Teen and may not be suitable for children under 13.

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Supplementary Resources: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) Screeners, PHQ-SADS (Pfizer); The PHQ-9 (American Psychological Association); National Standards of Practice for Interpreters in Health Care (National Council on Interpreting in Health Care); A National Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Healthcare (National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare)

Dialogue