Scoping Review of interpreter-mediated assessments under the Mental Health Act (1983) and international equivalents

Review question / Objective: The purpose of this scoping review is to identify and evaluate available evidence concerning assessments under the Mental Health Act (1983) (MHA) (and international equivalents) which are carried out with the assistance of a spoken or signed language interpreter. ‘International equivalents’ refers to pieces of legislation in countries other than England and Wales that concern formal assessment for compulsory assessment and treatment, including hospital detention, with respect to a mental disorder. [Both the specific Act that applies to England and Wales and its international equivalents are henceforth referred to as MHA]. The guiding questions are: • What are the enablers and barriers to good practice in interpreter mediated MHA assessments? • To what extent and how might interpreter mediation support or impede the legal rights and best interests of those assessed under the MHA? The aim is to determine whether the body of research available to date is sufficient to inform evidence-based guidelines for interpreters and for mental health professionals, in particular those who have the duty to make decisions under the MHA, known in England and Wales as Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHPs), to work in a joint and effective manner.