Scrutinizing translators' mental health and well-being: Voices of the profession from Slovakia

Although limited research suggests that professional translators suffer from occupational stress, their mental health and well-being have broadly been overlooked. As a result, the need to address possible mental health issues in the translation profession has become more apparent. This study aims to shed more light on the factors influencing translators' stress levels, job satisfaction, and general psychological health with a particular focus on mental well-being. Using a structured survey ( n = 81), the study explores how organizational work aspects (workload, access to support systems, involvement in professional communities), along with some psychological factors (burnout, sources of stress, motivation), influence translators' mental well-being. Based on the results, translators in Slovakia tackle a number of professional challenges such as social isolation, financial instability, and heavy workloads. Although a substantial number of translators are found to report high levels of job satisfaction, a significant proportion report only moderate levels, often owing to job insecurity and insufficient remuneration. The findings highlight the need for industry-wide improvements in workload management, compensation, and support networks in order to promote translators' mental well-being.