Trainee clinical psychologists' adaptation and professional functioning: a longitudinal study

Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: a Literature Review on Self-Care

Stress, burnout, and professional impairment are prevalent among mental health professionals and can have a negative impact on their clinical work, whilst engagement in self-care can help promote therapist well-being. This literature review examines the role of self-care in the promotion of well-being among mental health practitioners. Specifically, empirical research is presented in relation to specific domains of self-care practice, including awareness, balance, flexibility, physical health, social support, and spirituality. Findings from this review underscore the importance of taking a proactive approach to self-care and, in particular, integrating self-care directly into clinical training programs and into the quality assurance processes of professional organizations within the field of mental health.

Burnout amongst clinical and counselling psychologist: The role of early maladaptive schemas and coping modes as vulnerability factors

Psychologists are subject to multiple competing emotional demands that increase the risk of burnout. Research has demonstrated that burnout arises from both organizational and personal factors, including psychologists' personal beliefs and coping. Preliminary research indicates that early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are associated with high burnout, yet, to date, the role of EMS and associated coping responses (maladaptive coping modes [MCM]) in predicting high burnout amongst psychologists has not been investigated. Four hundred forty-three psychologists completed a self-report online questionnaire comprising the Maslach Burnout Inventory-emotional exhaustion scale (EE), Young Schema Questionnaire, and Schema Mode Inventory. The two most common EMS amongst psychologists were unrelenting standards and self-sacrifice. There was substantial indication of burnout, with 18.3% in the high range and 29.6% in the moderate range of EE. The most common MCM were detached protector and detached self-soother. Controlling for demographics and job demands, EMS accounted for an additional 18% variance in EE. MCM accounted for an additional 6% beyond the variance explained by demographics, job demands, and EMS. Practical recommendations are suggested to reduce psychologist burnout.

Mental health disclosure amongst clinical psychologists in training: Perfectionism and pragmatism

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the incidence of lived experience of mental health problems amongst UK-based trainee clinical psychologists and factors associated with anticipated disclosure for trainees both with and without lived experience.

METHODS

A web-based survey comprising the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, an adapted version of the Perceived Devaluation and Discrimination Scale, and questions about lived experience and anticipated likelihood of disclosure.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 348 trainees across 19 UK training institutions. Sixty-seven percent reported lived experience of a mental health problem. For these trainees, there was no difference in anticipated likelihood of disclosing to different recipient types after controlling for maladaptive perfectionism. However, across all participants, anticipated disclosure was associated with maladaptive perfectionism, temporal proximity, anticipated stigma (past), and recipient type. Anticipated stigma (present) was not associated with anticipated disclosure.

CONCLUSIONS

Results support an approach to communicating about mental health disclosure that incorporates responsibility, interdependency, and transparency. Suggestions for further research are discussed.

Using the Repertory Grid Technique to Examine Trainee Clinical Psychologists' Construal of Their Personal and Professional Development

The repertory grid technique was used to explore how 26 third-year trainee clinical psychologists construed their personal and professional selves over the course of training and into the future. Each trainee completed a demographic questionnaire and a repertory grid with 10 elements: four 'personal self' elements, four 'professional self' elements and two 'qualified clinical psychologist' elements. They then rated the 10 elements on 10 bipolar constructs of their choosing. Trainees' personal and professional selves were construed to be similar to each other. Trainees had low self-esteem and reported currently feeling anxious, stressed, unsettled and lacking an appropriate work-life balance. These difficulties were attributed to the demands of training and were expected to resolve once training was completed with future selves being construed as similar to ideal selves. Suggestions for future research with improved methodology are made, and the implications of the findings for trainees, training providers and employers of newly qualified clinical psychologists are given. The overall implication being that stress in training is normative and the profession has a duty to normalize this and ensure that self-care and personal development are recognized as core competencies of the clinical psychologist for the benefit of its members and their clients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE

Clinical psychology trainees experience training as demanding and stressful, which negatively impacts on their personal and professional self-image and self-esteem. However, they are optimistic that they will become more like their ideal self in the future. Stress in clinical training (and beyond) is normative, and thus, personal development and self-care should be recognized as clinical psychologist's core competencies.

The Value of Mindfulness-Based Methods in Teaching at a Clinical Field Placement

The value of mindfulness-based methods in an undergraduate field placement was investigated in relation to the acquisition of self-care and other basic clinical competencies. The participants were 22 students in an applied behavioral analysis course, which included a mindfulness-based training module, and 20 students enrolled in an experimental psychology course without mindfulness training. The Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale, the Freiberg Mindfulness Inventory, and the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills were used as measurements before and after intervention. Mindfulness-trained participants kept records and were asked to share their personal experiences during supervision and an exit interview. Results demonstrated that training significantly increased mindfulness. Qualitative data indicated enhanced self-care, attention to well-being, self-awareness, active involvement acquiring skills, and empathy and compassion. The need to expand the utility of mindfulness to the realm of education and the importance of including comparison groups with other self-care modules for future studies were discussed.

Testing the psychometric properties of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) in Turkish university students and community samples

Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) has been extensively used to assess coping styles in the clinical or non-clinical context. The present study investigates the psychometric properties of WCQ in Turkish culture and attempts to get its shorter version by using three separate and independent samples (two groups of university students and one community sample). The constructive study was conducted with a sample of full-time university students (N = 472) and it indicated that the most relevant factor structure was seven-factor model. The factors were planful problem-solving, seeking refuge in supernatural forces, keep to self, seeking social support, seeking refuge in fate, escape/avoidance and accepting responsibility. After that, confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the adequacy of these factors with two different samples. Study 1 was conducted with a sample of university students (N = 485) and Study 2 was conducted with a sample of community (N = 416). Results demonstrated that seven-factor solution revealed better results in both samples in terms of goodness of fit indexes in confirmatory factor analysis. The results of reliability and validity analysis revealed that psychometric properties of WCQ were acceptable. In addition to getting shorter version of WCQ, the present study enhances cross-cultural information that increases awareness about the coping styles in a non-western culture.