Newly graduated Australian psychologists’ interest and confidence in psychological approaches for psychosis: what role can psychology training providers play in increasing access to psychological interventions for psychosis?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Despite recommendations in international guidelines, implementation of psychological therapy for psychosis is limited. Clinician level factors (i.e. attitudes, confidence, and training) are significant barriers to implementation, but have not been investigated within the context of Australian professional psychology graduates. The current study aimed to examine predictors of interest and confidence in working therapeutically with people with psychosis in recent graduates of Australian psychology postgraduate training courses. Method An online survey was completed by 108 recent graduates from Australian postgraduate psychology courses. Participants provided data on hours of training, practicum experience, stigma, therapeutic optimism and levels of interest and confidence in working therapeutically with people with psychosis. Results Participants reported low levels of training and practical experience in psychological therapy for psychosis. Participants with higher training hours and who had delivered an intervention to someone with psychosis during training reported significantly more confidence in their ability to work with people experiencing psychosis. However, stigma was the only significant predictor of interest; psychologists with higher stigmatised attitudes were less interested in working with psychosis. Conclusions Increased opportunities for practicum experience with people with psychosis and interventions that address stigma in professional psychology training may support increased interest and confidence in providing psychological interventions for psychosis.