Yes, it's part of the interpreter's job to separate themselves from the speech. As interpreters, we are all public servants. Our job is to represent your thoughts faithfully and accurately to the listeners in the other language group. That is part of the training at the university.
Yes, interpreters do have to hear sometimes horrific things. Political debate is probably not the worst of things that many interpreters hear. Yes, it's part of the training. Interpreters form a community. They speak to each other afterwards. If there's a particularly difficult meeting, they talk amongst themselves in the booth and they debrief. I know this because I've lived it.
I would say that I'm not overly concerned about their mental health from that perspective. I would agree with my boss—not just because he's my boss—that the bigger concerns for them are more around the health and safety stuff. As Mr. Lymburner says, we've made great strides, and I think they're reassured by that. I think from a mental health standpoint, for us it's health and safety that's the greatest.
As I said earlier, most interpreters understand that they work in a highly politicized environment. They are able to separate themselves and what they speak into the microphone from you. I'm not overly concerned about that. It's part of the job. When you become an interpreter, you accept that.