{"title":"Mental health difficulties in paramedics: A review of the literature","authors":"Jade Thomas","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.2.18","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.2.18","url":null,"abstract":"Paramedics are frequently exposed to traumatic events as part of their role. The implications of this constant exposure have suggested that paramedics are at high risk of developing long-term mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, burnout, trauma, PTSD, and suicide.To synthesise studies to examine factors that play a role in the development of mental health difficulties in ambulance personnel. As well as, establishing gaps within the literature for further research.From the first 77 published journals reviewed from Psycinfo, PsychArticles, CINAHL, Education Research Complete, ERIC and grey literature, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review and were included in the present study.Findings of this review suggest that the mental health and wellbeing of paramedics are significant issues. In reviewing the research, it was found that several different factors may play a role in the development of mental health difficulties in ambulance personnel. Four main themes were determined, (1) occupational stressors, (2) negative attitude towards emotional expression, (3) peer and social support, and (4) preparing paramedics for mental health challenges.It is paramount for further research to explore paramedic students’ mental health experiences, as well as a focus on research to investigate a UK paramedic population due to most of the literature focusing on an international population. Psychological support and early interventions should be made a priority for all ambulance workers, as a way of improving the quality of the working life of paramedics.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138992852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Structural Existential Analysis (SEA) – A step-by-step guide for application to research","authors":"Natalie Fraser","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.2.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.2.4","url":null,"abstract":"The field of existential research is gently growing, yet currently relies on methods rooted in other psychological approaches. In 2014, Deurzen introduced her innovative phenomenological research method entitled: Structural Existential Analysis (SEA). SEA is increasingly being used as a secondary layer of analysis within qualitative research, yet few have applied SEA as an outright method before now. This paper expands upon the original SEA foundations to provide a clear, empirically supported 8-step guide for the application of SEA as an outright research method. The researcher’s personal existential journey and their subjective use of philosophical heuristic models are considered. Resources for immersion into global existential philosophies are provided, moving beyond the prevailing Eurocentric sources to enrich the depth of insights available within the researcher’s project and wider disciplinary field.Structural Existential Analysis (SEA) can be used as a stand-alone method of analysis for qualitative research. Unparalleled by existing research methods, this step-by-step application of SEA enables researchers to achieve a level of existential depth throughout their research journey moving beyond the prevailing Eurocentric contributions, advocates the importance of the human behind the research, supports the researcher’s creativity and intuition within the research process, and provides resources for personal reflexivity and self-development. Positioned towards novice and qualified researchers, this step-by-step guide offers a foundation for conducting ethical, empirically valid, and replicable lived-experience research.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139018658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Supervising trainee counselling psychologists of colour in doctoral research: A theoretical review and practice implications","authors":"H. Kahya","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.1.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.1.14","url":null,"abstract":"The Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) states a commitment to diversity, inclusion and non-discriminatory practice throughout the counselling psychology profession, and towards ensuring topics of culture and diversity are ‘mainstream discourse’ within the division (DCoP, 2021). The current paper explores diversity and inclusion, within the context of counselling psychology training; specifically, with regards to the relational aspects of doctoral research supervision, with trainees of colour. Existing evidence regarding the experiences of trainee counselling psychologists of colour are explored and considered against existing models for the task of research supervision. Personal reflections from the author’s own academic practice have been considered to illustrate points raised and to invite the reader to further self-reflection.Anne Lee’s (2008) model, outlining five ‘tasks’ for doctoral research supervision, has been expanded upon, to incorporate a reflective response to issues highlighted within the literature described above. Recommendations are made for future research supervision practice, for educators on counselling psychology training programmes.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42376574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"‘You can’t live like I did and grow up normal’: An IPA study of how men diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experienced their early childhood","authors":"M. Evans, Antonietta. DiCaccavo","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.1.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.1.4","url":null,"abstract":"There is a lack of attention to how borderline personality disorder (BPD) is conceptualised and understood in relation to men. In this study a sample of men diagnosed with BPD talk about the nature of their childhood experiences allowing the reader to compassionately understand the background of these individuals. Giving voice to what could be described as a marginalised group in society underlines the need to appreciate how men may adapt to and express corresponding vulnerability in distinctive ways as dictated by gender role expectations.Six men diagnosed with BPD were interviewed about their childhood experiences. Data were analysed using IPA to explore the ways they had made sense of their early family lives.The study is part of a larger research project. One superordinate theme is presented in this paper: ‘You can’t live like I did and grow up normal’, along with two subordinate themes: ‘It certainly wasn’t the Walton’s house’ and ‘I thought I was going to die’. These themes reflect men’s experiences of living in chaotic households where physical and sexual abuse were common. Men’s attempts to adapt to these circumstances centre around the need to stay in control while experiencing out of control family circumstances.Women are much more likely to be diagnosed with BPD than men. A greater appreciation of how men cope with early trauma and corresponding emotional dysregulation is needed to broaden diagnostic criteria to more accurately capture men’s experiences. This is likely to give men greater access to long term psychotherapeutic interventions that counselling psychologists are well placed to inform and deliver.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47755479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Georgia Dunning, Alistair Teager, A. Methley, Kathy Knott, L. Ong
{"title":"The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on self-efficacy in Assistant Psychologists in the UK","authors":"Georgia Dunning, Alistair Teager, A. Methley, Kathy Knott, L. Ong","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.1.23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2023.38.1.23","url":null,"abstract":"A novel coronavirus (Covid-19) was discovered in December 2019 (WHO, 2020). This meant changes in working for psychological staff, such as increased remote working, wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE), and taking on different tasks out of their job remit (Coetzer & Bichard, 2020). The potential for Assistant Psychologists (APs) to work in unfamiliar areas raised concerns regarding their self-efficacy. The present study investigated general levels of self-efficacy within APs during Covid-19, and whether it affected specific job roles (BPS, 2020a).A novel survey with 15 items relating to self-efficacy was completed online by 124 Assistant Psychologists via a self-selected sample.There were 87 participants (70 per cent) who remained in their usual role and 37 (30 per cent) deployed into other roles with a psychological focus. Overall, self-efficacy reduced across groups, as well as an individual tasks such as completing psychological assessments, delivering prescribed short-term interventions, and facilitating groups (p = <.005). Neither group reported significant changes in their self-efficacy for engaging in research, audit, or service evaluation, or creating training resources (p = >.05). APs who were deployed had a significant reduction in self-efficacy for facilitating reflective spaces (p = .005) but those who continued in their usual role did not (p = .341).Self-efficacy for direct clinical work (e.g. interventions) was negatively affected by Covid-19 in APs, whereas indirect clinical work (e.g. research/audit/service evaluation) was not. This suggests that supervisors of APs should be aware that self-efficacy is likely to decrease concerning future waves of Covid-19, regardless of being deployed or not.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49357460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A constructivist grounded theory of counselling psychologists’ in-the-moment decision-making process about touching their clients","authors":"Helen Damon","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.2.37","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.2.37","url":null,"abstract":"Clinician-client touch is controversial, and seemingly widespread. However, talking therapists report little-to-no training on it and major accrediting bodies offer no explicit guidance. Consequently, some clinicians feel a lack confidence and competence around touch and fear accusations of bad practice. There is no research on counselling psychologists’ (CoPs’) ‘in-the-moment’ (in-session) decision-making process about touching their clients. Hence, this study aimed to develop a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) of this process to facilitate best practice by identifying issues and evaluating and recommending changes to existing models, guidelines, and training.Following a CGT methodology, cycles of semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine CoPs, one clinical psychologist and two body psychotherapists about their process. The interview transcripts were analysed following Charmaz’s (2014) three-stage CGT coding process.A dual process model of touch-decision-making was produced, with the core category ‘weighing the predicted balance of appropriateness’: participants use an embodied sense of ‘felt appropriateness’ and a cognitive process of ‘considering the appropriateness’ to assess whether a ‘touch-related action’ is likely to be experienced as minimising harm and maximising therapeutic benefit to the client.The findings indicate a need for a CoP ‘professional stance’ towards touch-decision-making and talking about and upholding touch-boundaries in clinical practice.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46106739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial","authors":"Gina Di Malta, Ariele Noble","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.2.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.2.2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46956017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Drinking from an empty glass: A mixed-method analysis of counselling psychology trainees’ stress and barriers to self-care","authors":"C. Carter, R. Northway, S. Gait","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.2.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.2.4","url":null,"abstract":"Results from a recent BPS and NSP survey (2020) confirmed psychological practitioners are an at-risk group for their overall wellbeing. While most research to date focuses on clinical psychologists, limited research exists on counselling psychologists (CP), and more specifically trainee CP who are at an optimal time in their career to learn stress management and explore self-care strategies before entering the professional world. A mixed-methods study was therefore conducted with (n= 45) U.K. based CP trainees to explore 3 main objectives; (1) to measure trainees’ current levels of stress, (2) to understand trainees’ experience of using self-care tools in their own lives, and (3) to explore specific facilitators and barriers to support for trainees, if any.Initially, the Perceived Stress Scale-10 item (PSS-10), was used to measure current levels of trainee stress. 71.1 per cent of the sample scored in the moderate stress range. Following this (n= 10) trainees participated in follow-up semi-structured interviews. Using thematic analysis 4 main themes emerged; 1. Practising what we preach, 2. Individual differences, 3. Training Structure, and 4. Competing demands. In this article, we focus on the most prominent subthemes which are key barriers as noted by the majority of participants: from Theme 3-Placement hours, and from Theme 4-Influence of finances. Overall, this paper concludes that despite the moderate stress level amongst this population, there is still an attempt by trainees to apply self-care to their own lives but with key facilitators and barriers in this respect.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43785282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How might the evidence from group interventions of compassion focused therapy for shame and self-criticism be applicable to the treatment of self-harm","authors":"Amy Lawson","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.2.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.2.14","url":null,"abstract":"Treatment for self-harm remains limited despite research indicating the need to address underlying functions (Slee et al., 2008). Shame and self-criticism are pathogenic processes linked to self-harm (Gilbert & Irons, 2005) therefore CFT (compassion focused therapy) which is designed for shame and self-criticism could be an effective treatment.This review aimed to synthesise the literature on group based CFT for mental health difficulties with underlying shame and self-criticism and conceptualise how CFT group treatment could be effective for self-harm based on evidence from the papers. A systematic literature search was undertaken and 11 papers were reviewed according to the inclusion criteria which limited references to peer reviewed journal articles in English, from the year 2000 and those pertaining to group based CFT in adult clinical populations. A thematic synthesis was conducted after applying some key questions to the papers.Four key themes emerged from the thematic synthesis and were discussed with reference to questions around the effectiveness and acceptability of group CFT for addressing shame and self-criticism. The themes were, ‘moving from self-criticism to self-compassion’, ‘aversion to compassion’, ‘group process’ and ‘skills development’.Evidence from the papers around CFT group interventions were discussed with reference to their application to the treatment of self-harm in terms of building affiliative connections with others and the development of compassion as an adaptive coping mechanism, decreasing distress and reducing the need to engage in self-harm.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43998604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic trainee counselling psychologists: An interpretative phenomenological analysis","authors":"Dashnye Daloye","doi":"10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.1.31","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpr.2022.37.1.31","url":null,"abstract":"Background:The aim of the study was to capture the training experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) trainee counselling psychologists in the United Kingdom (UK). To date there is a lack of research and literature looking at the experiences of BME trainee counselling psychologist in the UK.Methodology:A qualitative approach was adopted; semi-structured interviews were conducted with five self-identified BME trainees. The accounts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).Findings:The analytic procedure highlighted five main superordinate themes which were constructed from participants’ accounts. All five participants contributed to every superordinate theme generated, which were: The need to belong; Lack of diversity; The impact of support on the self; Versatile BME trainee identity; and Managing a range of challenges. Each superordinate theme featured two related subordinate themes.Conclusion: Insights from the analysis indicate the experiences of UK BME trainee counselling psychologists consist of experiences including a sense of a lack of belonging on the training programme which in turn made the BME trainees feel lonely and isolated. The challenges experienced by the BME trainees included not feeling understood and supported. The lack of diversity was reflected in the Eurocentric bias in the training, lack of BME representation and the hardship of not being white. However, the participants reflected on their positive experience of connecting with BME clients by using their BME identity and experience.","PeriodicalId":36758,"journal":{"name":"Counselling Psychology Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44365124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}