Awareness and practice of solution focused therapy in mental health professionals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) is a paradigm shift from the traditional psychotherapy which is practised more by counsellors and social workers. Formal training of this therapy is observed across countries. The objective of the study was to assess SFT knowledge and its practice among mental health professionals in India post their educational degree. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Convenience sampling was used with an online survey mailed to 100 known professionals from July to September, 2018. The sample comprised of practicing Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatric Social Workers who held a minimum qualification of the superspecialty degree MPhil (Master of Philosophy) in their respective fields. Analysis was done both qualitatively and quantitatively. Descriptive statistics found that only 5.55% of Clinical Psychologists and 22.22% of Psychiatric Social Workers used it as a sole therapy. About 72.2% of the mental health professionals felt that Solution Focused Therapy should be incorporated in the traditional specialized training program. The two themes obtained from thematic content analysis were the understanding and the efficacy of this form of therapy. The awareness and practice of Solution Focused Therapy among mental health professional appears low. Despite awareness of SFTs’ principles and techniques, it was not the first choice of therapy for mental health professionals