Increasing Students’ Empathy and Counseling Self-Efficacy Through a Mindfulness Experiential Small Group

Effect of narrative videos and mini-VR games in nursing smoking cessation training on empathy and self-efficacy of smoking cessation counseling: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Empathy and self-efficacy for smoking cessation counseling can be enhanced through smoking cessation training. Narrative videos and virtual reality (VR) games have been applied in medical education, but their application in smoking cessation training is limited and understudied.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of smokers' narrative videos and mini-VR games on nursing students' empathy towards smokers (State Empathy Scale), confidence in practicing empathy, self-efficacy in smoking cessation counseling, and learning satisfaction.

DESIGN

An open-labeled randomized controlled trial, registration number: NCT05440877 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Master of nursing students from the University in Hong Kong who enrolled in a smoking cessation course.

METHODS

All students attended a tutorial including case-based discussions and role-play. The intervention group could additionally access the narrative videos and mini-VR games of smokers' cases. Linear mixed models and Cohen's d were used to evaluate the intervention effect on the self-reported learning outcomes after the intervention.

RESULTS

26 students enrolled in this trial, with 13 in each trial arm. All completed the trial. Post-test state empathy scores were significantly higher in the control group than in the intervention group (Cohen's d = 0.814, p = 0.049). No significant group differences were observed in the change of confidence in practicing empathy (β = -11.154, p = 0.073), self-efficacy (β = 4.846, p = 0.096), and students' learning satisfaction (Cohen's d = 0.041, p = 0.917). Both groups showed a significant increase in self-efficacy post-test (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Narrative videos showing smoking scenes and reluctance to quit, and our mini-VR games may weaken nursing students' empathy towards smokers. Smoking cessation training involving narrative videos should be modified. Debriefing and guidance to understand smokers' difficulties and express empathy are needed. VR games for smoking cessation training can involve more frame stories and challenging tasks to increase engagement.

An Exploration of Turkish Counselor Trainees' Development in Experiential Training Groups: An Uncontrolled Case Study

The purpose of this case study was to (1) examine the effect of experiential training groups on empathy and professional disposition levels of counselor trainees and (2) to understand their experiences and perceptions regarding experiential groups. Participants were 62 Turkish undergraduate counselor trainees enrolled in a group counseling course. Trainees participated in both a didactic group counseling course and an experiential group. The quantitative results of the study indicated that trainees experienced an increase in empathy and professional disposition levels pre-post. The qualitative analysis yielded three major categories: (a) member roles, (b) emotional experiences, and (c) contributions. The findings of this study highlight the importance of experiential training groups in counselor education.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on psychotherapy processes: A systematic review

In the field of psychotherapy, scientific research has highlighted the importance of empathy and therapeutic alliance in regard to the effectiveness and better results of psychological treatments. In recent years, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown to be effective at increasing empathy and therapeutic alliance and how this could affect the patients' symptomatology. In this study, we conducted a systematic review of the effectiveness of MBIs applied to psychotherapists to improve their empathy, the therapeutic alliance and the patients' symptomatology. Sixteen studies evaluating the impact of an MBI on some of these variables were identified, of which six included measures evaluated by the patients whose ahe MBI. The risk of bias of the included studies was analysed following the methodological standards. We found very different designs and methodologies in the studies included in this review, with few of them including a control group. The results show a limited increase in empathy, measured by the psychotherapist, after an MBI. However, the results in therapeutic alliance are not conclusive, as well as the improvements in the perception of patients about their symptomatology. It is concluded that MBIs can have a beneficial effect on the psychotherapeutic practice, through the development of psychotherapists' empathy. Future research would require new studies with a higher methodological quality, and in which the effects of MBIs on empathy, therapeutic alliance and patients' symptomatology and the relationships between them are analyzed.

Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Empathy Enhancement Program for Caregivers (SEE-C) Evaluated by Older Adults Receiving Care

The aim of this study was to examine whether a Simulation-based Empathy Enhancement program for Caregivers of the Elderly (SEE-C) was effective in increasing program satisfaction and positive emotional changes of older adults. A total of 100 older adults living alone were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group was interviewed by caregivers who experienced SEE-C while the control group was interviewed by caregivers who did not experience SEE-C. In both elderly groups, post session satisfaction and affective state were assessed using a Session Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ). Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were conducted. The experimental group (n = 49) reported significantly higher scores than the control group (n = 51) for all three categories of SEQ: session-depth (Mann-Whitney U = 1651.5, p = 0.005), session-smoothness (Mann-Whitney U = 1803.0, p = 0.000), and emotion-positivity (Mann-Whitney U = 1783.0, p = 0.000). However, the experimental group had significantly lower scores for the arousal category of SEQ (Mann-Whitney U = 873.5, p = 0.009). SEE-C could have a positive impact on interviews for elderly care in terms of raising the satisfaction of the interviewee.

Impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on counseling self-efficacy: A randomized controlled crossover trial

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of a structured eight-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) program on counseling self-efficacy among counseling trainees.

METHODS

Undergraduate counseling trainees were randomized to an MBCT group (n = 25) or a waitlist control group (n = 25) with a crossover trial design. Psychological measurements regarding mindfulness, empathy, self-compassion, psychological distress, counseling self-efficacy as well as neuro-physiological measures including frontal midline theta activity, respiration rate, and skin conductance were taken at baseline (T1), after intervention (T2), and six-month follow-up (T3).

RESULTS

Mindfulness training could make significant positive changes in empathy, self-compassion, stress reduction, and counseling self-efficacy with this being backed up by both psychological and neuro-physiological evidence at T2. However, such differences between the two groups had greatly subsided after crossover in which carry-over effect and marked improvement were noted in the study and control group, respectively, at T3. In addition, mindfulness was the most significant determinant that contributed to counseling self-efficacy, followed by psychological distress reduction and self-compassion according to the regression models.

CONCLUSION

Integrating mindfulness into counseling training is beneficial for helping profession trainees.

PRACTICE IMPLICATION

Incorporating mindfulness into counseling training can enhance the necessary "being mode" qualities in counseling and address self-care issues during training.

A Simulation-Based Empathy Enhancement Program for Non-Medical Care Providers of Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study

OBJECTIVE

Studies using simulation-based programs for empathy enhancement have been conducted mostly for health profession students and medical care providers in Western countries. No empirical research has been conducted for non-medical care providers of older adults in community settings in Asian countries. The purposes of this mixed-methods study were: to explore experiences and perceived usability of non-medical care providers of older adults in a simulation-based empathy enhancement program; and to examine if the program is effective in improving empathy and relevant outcomes.

METHODS

104 non-medical care providers of older adults in South Korea participated in a simulation-based empathy enhancement program in 2018. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires for effectiveness testing, a program evaluation questionnaire, and individual interviews and analyzed using statistical tests and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Care providers showed higher levels of empathy and lower levels of stress and burnout after the program participation (p<0.05). Qualitative findings supported the improved attitude and care strategies, increased empathy towards older adults, preparing for their own aging, and restoration of emotional stability through the participation in the program.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that the simulation-based program is useful in promoting empathic responses of non-medical care providers working with older adults.

Why therapists should walk the talk: The theoretical and empirical case for personal practice in therapist training and professional development

The key proposition of this invited essay is that personal practice (PP), coupled with self-reflection, is central to the development of the most effective therapists. To date, the discussion about personal practice in therapist training and professional development has largely revolved around the value of personal therapy, subscribed to by some schools of psychotherapy but not by others. However, since the turn of the century a new landscape of personal practices for therapists has emerged. In particular, two forms of personal practice, meditation programs and self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) programs, have developed a growing evidence base. Here it is proposed that there is now a strong theoretical and empirical case to accord personal practice an explicit role in therapist training and professional development. The case rests on recent research suggesting that: (1) personal and interpersonal qualities of therapists play a key role in client outcomes; and (2) personal practice is the most effective way to achieve changes in therapists' personal and interpersonal qualities. It is suggested that the research agenda needs to move beyond asking whether or not personal practice is effective towards a more sophisticated set of questions: what personal practice, facilitated by whom, is most effective with which practitioners, in what contexts, at what point in time? To make further progress, trainers and researchers need to be supported to include personal practices in therapist training and to undertake research to evaluate their impacts.