This 1-hour asynchronous course guides language professionals through terminology, medication categories, and communication challenges associated with psychiatric medications. You’ll explore common treatments such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, stimulants, and mood stabilizers—while also gaining insight into off-label uses and how to navigate sensitive conversations around mental health.

Mental health terminology is complex—and the stakes are high. As a medical interpreter or translator, you may be asked to facilitate discussions around suicide prevention, medication compliance, or discharge from psychiatric care. This course breaks down psychiatric medications by class and purpose, explains common side effects in accessible language, and provides the real-world context you need to interpret confidently and ethically during these high-stress encounters.

• The most prescribed psychiatric medications, including SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and antipsychotics
• How psychiatric medications function and when each class is typically prescribed
• The concept of off-label use and why it’s common in mental health treatment
• Terminology you’ll encounter in both English and Spanish (and tips for other languages)
• Application of concepts in a realistic interpreting scenario involving adolescent mental health