How language brokering relates to empathy and psychological well-being

Language brokering often brings children in close, intimate interactions with parents, which, over time, may help them understand their parents and others in the form of empathy. Specifically, frequency and feelings about language brokering may relate to greater empathy. In addition, language brokering may have an indirect effect on psychological well-being via empathy. For this study, 459 language brokers (M (age) = 21.36, Female = 80%) completed an online questionnaire about frequency and feelings about language brokering, empathy, and psychological well-being. There were direct effects of language brokering burden, language brokering role reversal, and language brokering efficacy, but not frequency of language brokering, on empathy. We found an indirect association of language brokering burden and language brokering efficacy, to depressive symptoms through empathy. Findings indicate that empathy may play a role in how language brokering relates to psychological well-being.