Psychotherapists' Readiness to Treat Refugee Patients and the Influence of Professional Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Vignette Study

IF 3.2 3区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy Pub Date : 2025-04-29 DOI:10.1002/cpp.70076

Pia Maria Schwegler, Theresa Neumann, Rita Rosner, Katharina Gossmann

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Abstract

Background

Previous research has shown that psychotherapists' characteristics influence their readiness to treat refugee patients. The impact of therapists' professional quality of life (ProQOL) regarding their treatment readiness for refugee patients is unknown.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the ProQOL among psychotherapists in Germany. It examines how these factors and previous experience working with refugees affect psychotherapists' treatment readiness for refugee patients with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Method

In our study, we assessed the treatment readiness of licensed psychotherapists (LPTs) and psychotherapists in training (PiTs) using randomized refugee verus nonrefugee vignettes. Participants (N = 821) rated their treatment readiness for the presented case, reported their professional quality of life on the ProQOL questionnaire as well as prior experience with psychotherapy for refugees.

Results

The ProQOL differed significantly between therapists with and without experience treating refugees: Compassion satisfaction was higher, and burnout lowers for those who had already treated refugees. Overall, treatment readiness was lower for refugee than for nonrefugee patients. Therapists with prior experience of working with refugees reported a significantly higher treatment readiness for the refugee vignette. Treatment readiness was not affected by the reported ProQOL.

Conclusions

Treatment experience with refugees did not negatively impact therapists' ProQOL but fostered their further treatment readiness for this specific patient group. Psychotherapists should be encouraged to gain initial treatment experience with refugees to improve long-term health care for refugees. Encouragement could be achieved by providing supervision or specialist training.

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心理治疗师治疗难民病人的准备和职业生活质量的影响：一项横断面小插图研究

先前的研究表明，心理治疗师的特点影响他们治疗难民病人的准备程度。治疗师的职业生活质量（ProQOL）对难民患者的治疗准备的影响是未知的。目的对德国心理治疗师的ProQOL进行评价。它审查了这些因素和以前与难民一起工作的经验如何影响心理治疗师对有创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状的难民患者的治疗准备。方法在我们的研究中，我们使用随机难民和非难民小插曲来评估有执照的心理治疗师（LPTs）和培训中的心理治疗师（pit）的治疗准备情况。参与者（N = 821）评估了他们对所提出病例的治疗准备情况，在ProQOL问卷上报告了他们的职业生活质量，以及先前对难民进行心理治疗的经验。结果有难民治疗经验和没有难民治疗经验的治疗师的ProQOL有显著差异：有难民治疗经验的治疗师的同情满意度较高，倦怠感较低。总体而言，难民患者的治疗准备程度低于非难民患者。先前有难民工作经验的治疗师报告说，难民小品的治疗准备程度明显更高。治疗准备不受报告的ProQOL的影响。结论：难民的治疗经验对治疗师的ProQOL没有负面影响，但促进了他们对这一特定患者群体的进一步治疗准备。应鼓励心理治疗师获得对难民的初步治疗经验，以改善对难民的长期保健。鼓励可以通过提供监督或专业培训来实现。

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来源期刊

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

6.30

自引率

5.60%

发文量

106

期刊介绍： Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy aims to keep clinical psychologists and psychotherapists up to date with new developments in their fields. The Journal will provide an integrative impetus both between theory and practice and between different orientations within clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy will be a forum in which practitioners can present their wealth of expertise and innovations in order to make these available to a wider audience. Equally, the Journal will contain reports from researchers who want to address a larger clinical audience with clinically relevant issues and clinically valid research.