Postgraduate Psychology Students Research Articles

Postgraduate psychology students’ mental health and coping during COVID-19: Lessons learnt

Postgraduate psychology students’ mental health and coping during COVID-19: Lessons learnt

Educator experiences with postgraduate psychology students exhibiting professional competence issues

ABSTRACT Psychology training programs emphasize competencies like professional behavior, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence. Some students, known as students with problems of professional competence (SPPC), struggle in these areas. This study explored SPPC characteristics and educator experiences in managing them through semi-structured interviews with twelve Australian psychology educators. Thematic analysis revealed that SPPC often struggle with professional attitudes, feedback integration, reflective skills, and mental health, placing demands on resources and contributing to educator stress. The role of educators as gatekeepers, assessors, and evaluators also raises concerns about maintaining ethical standards. Findings highlight the need for better understanding, support, and strategies for managing SPPC to uphold ethical standards.

Feasibility and practicality of a simulated placement: an exploratory pilot of a novel training method for postgraduate psychology students in the wake of COVID-19

ABSTRACT Objective In 2020, COVID-19 caused a drastic interruption to face-to-face postgraduate psychology placements in Australia, prompting the development of a simulated placement. This pilot project represents a preliminary evaluation of the program by exploring the feasibility of a simulated placement as a novel training modality for competence development in postgraduate psychology training. Method Students enrolled in a simulated postgraduate psychology placement in 2021 completed an online survey at the end of the placement. Acceptability, perceived competency and experience of the placement were assessed. Chi-square goodness of fit tests were used to evaluate the difference between rates of completion and the length of time it took to complete placement requirements between students enrolled in face-to-face placements in 2019 and 2020, and the simulated placement in 2021. Results The results showed an increase in proportion of students who completed the simulated placement than previous face-to-face placements and that students were able to complete training and meet competence in shorter time frames. Students reported increased psychological competency and confidence to practice at the completion of the simulated placement. Conclusions A simulated psychology placement is a novel teaching modality that may be feasible in the development of perceived psychological competence and confidence in postgraduate psychology students.

“I didn’t know what I didn’t know!”: Improving confidence of postgraduate psychology students to support children with language difficulties through a targeted education intervention

“I didn’t know what I didn’t know!”: Improving confidence of postgraduate psychology students to support children with language difficulties through a targeted education intervention

Are reframing strategies more effective than empathy in processing trauma reports? A pilot study.

Listening to trauma reports can lead to the development of symptoms associated with secondary traumatization. This is particularly relevant for psychotherapists in practice, where psychologists need to estabilish effective strategies for processing and coping with such emotionally challenging events. This explorative study investigated adaptive reframing strategies for future therapists listening to trauma stories compared to feeling empathy for the client. In a mixed design, 42 postgraduate psychology students were randomly instructed to objectively distance themselves, reappraise, or feel empathetic while watching a video of a presumed trauma patient reporting a single violent act. An overall ANOVA did not reveal a difference between the reframing groups and the empathy group (between subjects manipulated) in their skin conductance level and heart rate variability during the video, as well as their change in state depression and state anxiety over the three measurements (before the video, after the video, and 2 days later). Nevertheless, an explorative t-test showed a significantly weaker rise in state depression and state anxiety from before the video to after the video in the reframing groups compared to the empathy group. This supports the suggestion that reframing strategies can be discussed as a protective factor against health issues such as secondary traumatization in therapists and should be examined in further studies in more detail.

A pilot evaluation of a training programme on understanding and responding to sexual behaviours in children and young people

ABSTRACT Practitioners who work with children and young people such as educators, psychologists, and social workers, are required to understand and respond to various sexual behaviours in children and young people. However, there is a dearth of training programmes dealing with sexual development. To reduce over- and under-reporting of risk, which can have serious adverse outcomes, it is essential to educate practitioners in understanding and responding appropriately to sexual behaviours. This study evaluated Traffic Lights® professional development training programme – a one-day programme offered across Queensland, Australia, with the goal of educating practitioners and promoting safe and respectful sexual health among children and young people. Thirty postgraduate psychology students working with/interested in working with children and young people received Traffic Lights® training, and accuracy of understanding and responding to sexual behaviours presented in scenarios was assessed pre- and post-training. Participant responses were scored using criteria developed by a local sexual health organisation’s research specialists. Findings revealed no significant improvement in understanding and responding to sexual behaviours in children and young people. Implications of this study include recommendations for small-scale evaluations with sexual health experts and follow-up research, which is critical given the need for evidence-based practice in this area.

Capacity building in mental health: preparing Caribbean psychologists for the future

PurposeThe English-speaking Caribbean is currently at a crossroads regarding the education and training of home-grown psychologists meeting the ever-increasing demands for mental health care in the region. This paper recommends an innovative approach to build capacity in mental health care in the English-speaking Caribbean that will require partnerships between the regional university, experienced registered practising psychologists, professional resources in the diaspora, public health and education institutions, which will produce trained clinical supervisors, PhD psychologists and improved mental health services in the region.Design/methodology/approachDocuments about the postgraduate programmes in psychology from the regional university were sourced. PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar were searched for the English language published articles using the key phrases psychology AND/OR psychologist AND/OR education AND training AND mental health. Searches of the reference lists of included articles were also undertaken.FindingsPostgraduate psychology programmes in the region have become stalled at the master’s level. Meanwhile, doctoral-level training is being sought outside the Caribbean largely due to the lack of availability of trained clinical supervisors. Moreover, training outside the region may lead to deficits regarding cultural relevance of practices, as well as impede the overall development of Caribbean psychology.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides insights into the current practice of education and training for Caribbean postgraduate psychology students and the implications for the development of the practice of psychology in the region. Recommendations for educational and training strategies are provided.Practical implicationsThe proposed framework presented will help upgrade experienced master’s-level trained psychologists to PhDs with training in clinical supervision through Research Advancing Intensive Supervision Education (RAISE) doctoral programmes and can cultivate improved mental health services with a wider reach across the Caribbean.Social implicationsRaising the training standards of the psychologists, preparing clinical supervisors and increasing access to practicum sites will improve the trajectories of psychologists within the English-speaking Caribbean and the mental health of the population. Such changes will help to ensure the use of culturally appropriate therapies with Caribbean clientele. There are many social implications for capacity building within the practice and research domains of the preparation of psychologists. For example, increased access to psychological care, improved well-being of citizens, decreased prevalence of work absenteeism and improved management of citizens’ mental health and well-being.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights into the current practice of education and training for Caribbean postgraduate psychology students and the implications for the development of the practice of psychology in the region. Recommendations for educational and training strategies are provided. The proposed organising framework presented offers a new conceptual model that can be used to guide the capacity building of psychologists within the English-speaking Caribbean. The proposed framework will help upgrade experienced master’s-level trained psychologists to PhDs with training in clinical supervision through RAISE doctoral programmes and can cultivate improved mental health services with a wider reach across the Caribbean.

Child observation and emotional discomfort: the experience of trainee psychologists

ABSTRACT Young Child Observation (YCO) is a foundational component of psychoanalytic training in many parts of the world and has been adapted for various training courses in psychology, psychotherapy, education and social work. While the professional benefits of YCO are established, the experience of observers conducting observations outside of traditional psychoanalytic training settings is under-researched. YCO observers experience significant emotional discomfort; however, this has not been well documented, nor has its impact on observers and their professional development. This study addresses that gap by analysing the emotional discomfort experienced by 10 postgraduate psychology students from a single university, who completed a seven-week YCO and wrote self-reflective reports on their personal experience. Participant reports and notes from each completed observation were analysed using Reflective Thematic Analysis. Three main themes were identified: Managing the Observer Role, The Struggle for Belonging, and Countertransference. Participants reported a range of experiences eliciting emotional discomfort, which, in the course of individual and supervision group reflection, led to personal and professional development. Findings from this study indicate that a short YCO enriches the quality of professional psychological training, even when this training is not explicitly psychoanalytic in nature.

A Psychoanalytic Lens: Unmasked Layers of the Self among Post-Graduate Psychology Students in Surviving the COVID-19 Lockdown

The World Health Organisation (WHO) classified the Sars-Cov-2, also identified as COVID-19, as a pandemic on the 12th of March 2020 (Qiu et al., 2020), with South Africa recording its first case on the 5th of March 2020. The rapidly spreading virus led the South African government to implement one of the strictest, nationwide lockdowns globally, resulting in the closing down of all institutions of higher learning effective March 18th 2020. Thus, this qualitative study primarily aimed to explore whether post-graduate psychology students were in a state of a depleted or cohesive self, post the psychological isolation of COVID-19 risk-adjusted level 5 lockdown. Semi-structured interviews from a qualitative interpretive approach comprising N = 6 psychology post-graduate students, facilitated a rich understanding of their intra-psychic experiences of the self. Thematic analysis of data gathered from the interviews illuminated how students were forced into the self by the emotional isolation of hard lockdown, with the emergence of core psychic conflict often defended against, through external self-object experiences. The findings also suggest that lockdown stripped off this sample of psychology post-graduate students’ defensive escape from the inner self through external self-object distractions. The external self was stripped to the core of the internal self by the isolation of hard lockdown, thereby uncovering the psychic function of roles and defenses amalgamated throughout modern cultural consciousness that dictate self-functioning. The study suggests modelling reflexivity skills in the integration of internal and external self-experience dynamics as part of a training model for continued personal and professional development for psychology students.

Role-Play as a Pedagogical Strategy to Assist Postgraduate Psychology Students Engage with the Social Embeddedness of Trauma

ABSTRACT While it is now widely accepted that any understanding of PTSD needs to be contextualised within cultural parameters, there is a lack of pedagogical strategies to assist postgraduate psychology students engage with both the psychodynamic and socio-political aspects of trauma. To assist, role-play is put forward as a teaching strategy, enabling students to explore the impact of taken-for-granted attitudes, social norms and values on how traumatic stress is expressed and experienced. An illustration of a socio-politically rich role-play is used to demonstrate how, without engaging with trauma as socially embedded, comprehensive understanding, empathy, and care cannot be achieved.

QuarterlyMeet the Supervisors

Our Meet the Supervisors section is aimed at connecting postgraduate psychology students with potential supervisors and any corresponding opportunities for PhD, RA or postdoctoral research projects they may have in the future. We want to showcase some of the amazing supervisors and research positions out there. We also aim to humanise the PhD/RA/postdoctoral application process a little! Wouldn’t you like to know a few fun facts about a supervisor before applying to work with them? We hope that our readers find this a useful opportunity to learn more and reach out to one another, building more connections and collaborations across the UK.

It’s a journey … Emerging adult women’s experiences of spiritual identity development during postgraduate psychology studies in South Africa

ABSTRACT The spiritual identity development of six South African, emerging adult, female, postgraduate psychology students (21 to 22 years old) was explored using reflective writing exercises and individual interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed that spiritual identity exploration occurs continuously across the lifespan, with optimal opportunities for deepened development during emerging adulthood. Development happens in context and is enhanced by the postgraduate psychology training experience, as well as exposure to spiritual and religious diversity. Reflections on challenging events result in sophisticated meaning-making processes regarding purpose in life, as well as the authoring of a spiritual life story. There is an intricate and reciprocal relationship between the development of a spiritual identity and the psychology profession – spirituality, values and worldviews can be regarded as important aspects of the therapeutic process for many individuals.

Assessing the Learning of Qualitative Research Through a Critical Reflective Essay

Despite a longstanding commitment to the notion of reflection as an integral part of qualitative research, there are few explicit learning tools or published assignment guides to aid understanding of this important aspect of student learning. Reflection both as a researcher and within the context of an educational perspective can be challenging; however, creating reflective assignments can help students consolidate and assess the learning of qualitative research skills in practice. This article describes a critical reflective assignment highlighting the challenges, rewards, and reflections on designing and conducting an interview process as part of a qualitative research methods module with postgraduate psychology students. We also consider the evaluations students have provided for this assignment and our reflections on what can be improved in the future.

The impact of lecture chunking format on university student vigilance: Implications for classroom pedagogy

Consistent with capacity theories of attention, attention can be sustained to the extent that spare mental resources remain available. The traditional lecture in higher education has received criticism for being too long to hold a student’s attention. This is based on several author’s claims that there is a measurable decrement in student attention after approximately 10-15 minutes of sustained content delivery. The present research aimed to investigate if providing small, separate units of an asynchronous lecture is able to enhance motivation for task engagement through perceived achievability of the learning outcomes, and consequently, enhance sustained attention amongst postgraduate university students. Utilising a quasi-experimental design, 51 postgraduate psychology students were recruited by opportunistic sampling from a cognitive psychology lecture on an MSc Psychology course, and given the option to watch either a long, single-video version of a lecture, or the same lecture delivered as smaller separate video chunks. Key findings indicate that presenting the material as smaller separate video units increased the perceived achievability of the learning outcomes and reduced the number of attention lapses experienced, but not the duration of those lapses, all measured via self-report single-item measures. The shorter separate videos condition also saw greater levels of break taking compliance. Looking at the sample as a whole using a hierarchical regression analysis, whilst controlling for student mind wandering tendencies as measured by the Mind Excessively Wandering Scale (MEWS), taking breaks was a significant negative predictor of attention lapses. Taken together, this suggests taking breaks is an integral part of sustained attention, and that chunking lectures into separate video units increases break taking compliance. Therefore, when designing online asynchronous learning material, lecturers should consider the value of chunking learning material for its potential direct and indirect effect on sustained attention.

P092 Improving Postgraduate Psychology Students’ Sleep and Insomnia Knowledge with a Sleep Education Workshop

Abstract Introduction Trainee psychologists receive limited sleep and insomnia education during postgraduate study. This study examined the delivery of a sleep psychology training workshop for postgraduate psychology students and examined changes in sleep knowledge from pre- to post-workshop. Methods A 6-hour Sleep Psychology Workshop was delivered to postgraduate psychology students around Victoria. Online pre- and post-workshop questionnaires were used to evaluate changes in sleep psychology knowledge and collect feedback on the workshop. Results The participants were 187 students (82% female, M age = 32), most of whom were in their 5th year of psychology training (69%) and had not received any sleep education during their postgraduate studies at the date of the intervention (77%). Students’ sleep knowledge significantly improved after workshop completion (pre: 56% vs. post: 80% correct), t(107)= -21.41, p < .001. Students provided positive feedback about the workshop, with 96% rating the workshop as excellent/very good and 86% reporting that they would recommend the workshop to other postgraduate students. Overall, 94% of students agreed/strongly agreed that the sleep psychology workshop improved their confidence to manage sleep disturbances in their future psychology practice. Discussion Postgraduate psychology students require sleep and insomnia education. This study demonstrates that students’ sleep psychology knowledge can improve after a 6-hour sleep education and training workshop and provides initial positive feedback about the benefits of sleep and insomnia education for postgraduate students.

Wake up psychology! Postgraduate psychology students need more sleep and insomnia education

ABSTRACT Objective Poor sleep can significantly impact mental health. Despite this, sleep education is absent from the curriculum of many psychology training programs. The current study examined the amount of sleep education delivered within postgraduate psychology programs in Australia. It also developed a new survey tool to capture postgraduate psychology students’ experience of sleep education. Method Two cross-sectional sleep education surveys were emailed to postgraduate psychology programs across Australia via the Heads of Department and Schools of Psychology Association. The first survey explored sleep education from postgraduate psychology program coordinators’ perspectives (n = 35; survey response rate = 73%), while the second custom-designed survey examined postgraduate psychology students’ perspectives (n = 152). Results Program coordinators reported a median of 2.00 hours (range 0-9) of didactic sleep education delivered within postgraduate psychology programs. Postgraduate students, however, reported receiving a median of only 1.00 hour (range 0-40) of sleep education, with 47% of students reporting no sleep education. Most students acknowledged already working with clients experiencing sleep disturbances (68%), yet they disclosed low confidence and self-efficacy to manage sleep disturbances in psychology practice. Despite delivering minimal sleep education, thematic analysis indicated that program coordinators viewed sleep education as an important topic for trainee psychologists. Program coordinators preferred sleep education to supplement the postgraduate curriculum, preferably online (63%), whereas students chose clinical supervision (61%). Conclusions Postgraduate psychology training programs deliver minimal sleep education to trainee psychologists in Australia. Enhanced integration of sleep education within the postgraduate psychology curriculum is required to improve mental health outcomes. Key Points What is already known about this topic: (1) Sleep disturbances commonly co-occur with mental health conditions, often with a bidirectional relationship. (2) Trainee clinical psychologists in the US receive limited sleep education, which may impact their ability to manage the sleep disturbances in clinical practice. (3) There are currently no Australian Psychology Accreditation Council training requirements in sleep and sleep disorders for postgraduate psychology programs, despite the bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health. What this topic adds: (1) This is the first study to examine sleep education within postgraduate psychology programs in Australia. (2) We show that (1) a median of only two hours of didactic sleep education is delivered within postgraduate psychology programs, (2) almost half (47%) of postgraduate students received no sleep education during their training, (3) sleep issues were a common presenting complaint forpostgraduate students to address on placement, and (4) overall, graduate students reported low levels of confidence and self-efficacy to manage sleep disturbances in clinical practice. (3) Postgraduate psychology students in Australia need more sleep and insomnia education disturbances that commonly co-occur with mental health conditions.

Student counsellor experiences of mindfulness-based intervention training: A systematic review of the qualitative literature

Aims This systematic review aimed to critically synthesize research examining trainee therapists’ experiences of learning and using mindfulness. It explored the personal and professional benefits and challenges of mindfulness training, and whether there is merit including it in core education programmes. Methods Key article databases (including PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, Academic Search Premier, Medline, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Google Scholar) were systematically searched for qualitative studies on post-graduate counselling, psychology and psychotherapy students’ experiences of mindfulness courses. Reference sections of highly relevant studies were also searched. Thirteen identified studies were subjected to data extraction, critical appraisal using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for qualitative research, and synthesis. Results Thematic synthesis highlighted positive personal and professional experiences of mindfulness, such as enhanced emotional regulation and wellbeing, better therapist-client boundaries, and stronger therapeutic relationships. These followed some minor initial challenges, such as discomfort and difficulty concentrating. Conclusion Although participants of included studies were more likely to have a predisposition for mindfulness, results clearly endorse the potential of mindfulness training to complement existing counsellor training by fostering essential clinical skills, qualities and attitudes, and self-care. As some students initially find mindfulness to be challenging, issues such as individual readiness need consideration.

A ‘PERMA’ Response to the Pandemic: An Online Positive Education Programme to Promote Wellbeing in University Students

Pre-existing issues regarding the wellbeing and mental health of university students have subsequently been compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Research signals that anxiety and depression symptomology has increased in university students’ following the COVID-19 outbreak, and mental wellbeing has declined. In response to concerns around mental health of students in Higher Education (HE), and to support the transition to remote working during the pandemic, we designed and implemented an 8-week wellbeing program based on positive education frameworks and practices. The online program was delivered in a West Midlands-based university in the United Kingdom, to undergraduate and postgraduate psychology students. The weekly sessions [ran through a virtual learning environment (VLE)] aimed to 1) provide students with a community and an opportunity to feel connected with other students, 2) introduce students to key concepts of wellbeing, and 3) equip students with knowledge and resources that would help sustain/improve their wellbeing. In this paper we outline how positive education, and specifically the “PERMA” wellbeing framework, has inspired the development of this wellbeing program (including the accompanying VLE webpages and sources of support) and future plans for evaluation. We further describe the content and delivery of this program alongside practical implications, lessons learned and important constraints. We situate this discussion alongside consideration of ongoing wellbeing support requirements following the pandemic and issues regarding wider integration of PERMA approaches in university contexts.

Examination of trauma training for postgraduate psychology students

ABSTRACT Objective: Psychologists are at the forefront of assessing and treating clients who been affected by trauma. This study determined the proportion of Australian postgraduate psychology courses that provide training on trauma in coursework units. Method: Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse the trauma-related contents of online unit handbooks from Masters of Psychology courses that were offered in 2019. Results: Forty-two unit handbooks from 25 courses delivered by 16 institutions explicitly mentioned trauma-related content, equating to 31.65% of courses included in the present study. Of those unit handbooks, 30 were unique (i.e., not duplicates across courses at the same institution). Content analysis of the unit handbooks revealed (a) trauma was most commonly discussed as a disorder (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, stressor-related disorders) and (b) postgraduate psychology students were often taught about trauma-related assessment, intervention and theory. Conclusions: Trauma training appears limited within postgraduate psychology coursework in Australia. Further research is warranted into how well-prepared psychology graduates are to work with clients who have been exposed to trauma. Such preparedness is vital in the current Australian climate whereby many individuals are impacted by potentially traumatic loss or adversity, for example, due to bushfires and COVID-19. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: The effects of traumatisation are highly variable across individuals and thus psychologists must be well-informed about the different presentations of trauma. Trauma- and stressor-related disorders are often challenging to treat and psychologists must be well-trained in appropriate interventions for doing so. Mental health practitioners often lack the appropriate support and training in addressing the needs of clients who have been affected by traumatising events. What this topic adds: Only a minority of postgraduate psychology courses in Australia appeared to contain information about trauma. Further research is warranted to continue to explore psychologists’ training and competency development in trauma-informed practice. Systemic changes to postgraduate psychology courses are required to ensure all provisional psychologists receive foundational knowledge and skills in supporting clients who have been impacted by trauma.

Exploring Rater Cultural Bias in Forensic Risk Assessment

Risk assessment instruments are an important tool for assessing an offender’s risk of recidivism. However, concerns have been raised regarding their applicability to different cultural groups, and it has been suggested that rater cultural bias may affect assessment. This study explored whether rater cultural bias impacted upon the scoring of the YLS/CMI-SRV and rater perceptions of offenders from diverse cultural backgrounds. Participants included a representative sample of postgraduate Australian Psychology students who were randomly assigned a vignette of a young offender from either a South Sudanese, Indigenous or Anglo-Australian background. No evidence of cultural bias was found in YLS/CMI-SRV scoring or rater perceptions of the offender.