Postgraduate Psychology Research Articles

Climate change and mental health: postgraduate psychology student and program coordinator perspectives from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT Objective There is growing evidence that climate change can negatively impact people’s mental health. Therefore, it is important for psychologists to receive adequate training in this area. However, little is known about current levels of training, including the amount of climate change mental health education within postgraduate psychology programs in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand. Method Two cross-sectional surveys regarding climate change and mental health were emailed to postgraduate psychology programs in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand. The first invited participation from program coordinators (n = 17), the second students (n = 159). We conducted quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis of qualitative responses. Results Most participants believe this is an important topic of training for psychologists as climate change will impact the mental health of their clients. Further, results indicate minimal climate change mental health content in postgraduate psychology training programs in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand. Conclusions Integration of climate change mental health education into postgraduate psychology curriculum will work towards equipping the emerging mental health workforce to address this growing demand, which in turn can improve mental health outcomes in a changing climate.

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.

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 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.

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

Qualitative research in Indian postgraduate psychology and social work programmes: a study on curriculum content coverage and graduates’ perspectives

ABSTRACTAlthough gaining prominence in recent years, the qualitative research paradigm appears less taught and minimally employed across disciplines. In this context, the present study attempted to understand whether the Indian postgraduate psychology and social work programmes adequately covered qualitative research content in their curriculum. In addition, we explored the experiences and perspectives of graduates on the curriculum and learning qualitative research during their Master’s. The study was conducted in two phases. First, we have undertaken an on-desk research involving content analysis of the curriculum of Master’s programmes in psychology and social work across 71 publically funded universities in India. The second phase included qualitative interviews with 33 graduates who had completed their Master’s degrees from the selected universities, and the data were analyzed thematically. Most universities did not have a separate course on qualitative research (N = 65), and the research methods were taught through a single course dominated by the quantitative approach. Qualitative content is minuscule in the course, covering basic topics across universities. Furthermore, four themes emerged from the perspectives of graduates: minimal qualitative content, lack of qualitative traditions, least experts, and misconceptions. This study implies the importance of a diversified curriculum with different research paradigms to strengthen students’ capabilities.

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.

What counts? A Delphi consensus-based approach to interpreting accreditation standards for Direct Client Activities in clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology programs

ABSTRACT Objective Despite operating from the same professional accreditation standards, discrepancies in what is recorded as Direct Client Activities (DCA) in postgraduate psychology trainee logbooks have been noted across training programs in Australia. The aim of this study was to create a consensus-based list of DCA to guide the completion of trainee logbooks while undertaking practicums in clinical psychology or clinical neuropsychology. Method A modified Delphi approach was used to gather data across three rounds. Two expert panels, representing the two areas of practice endorsement (AoPEs), rated the degree to which they agreed or disagreed with a range of activities being recorded as DCA in trainee logbooks. Activities with over 80% agreement or disagreement during any round were accepted or rejected from the final list, respectively. Results Sixteen activities for clinical psychology and 30 activities for clinical neuropsychology were endorsed by the expert panels. Only nine activities across the two panels did not reach consensus over the three rounds. Conclusions This study has created a list of consensus activities within these two AoPEs which will facilitate benchmarking activities, and reduce confusion and anxiety for trainees, supervisors, and placement coordinators. Discrepancies do, however, remain across the AoPEs, warranting further clarification and definition refinement.

A single-blind, parallel-group randomised trial of a Technology-assisted and remotely delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy intervention (Tech-CBT) versus usual care to reduce anxiety in people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: study protocol for a randomised trial

BackgroundAnxiety is commonly experienced by people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Whilst there is strong evidence for late-life anxiety treatment using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and delivery via telehealth, there is little evidence for the remote delivery of psychological treatment for anxiety in people living with MCI and dementia. This paper reports the protocol for the Tech-CBT study which aims to investigate the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, usability and acceptability of a technology-assisted and remotely delivered CBT intervention to enhance delivery of anxiety treatment for people living with MCI and dementia of any aetiology.MethodsA hybrid II single-blind, parallel-group randomised trial of a Tech-CBT intervention (n = 35) versus usual care (n = 35), with in-built mixed methods process and economic evaluations to inform future scale-up and implementation into clinical practice. The intervention (i) consists of six weekly sessions delivered by postgraduate psychology trainees via telehealth video-conferencing, (ii) incorporates voice assistant app technology for home-based practice, and (iii) utilises a purpose-built digital platform, My Anxiety Care. The primary outcome is change in anxiety as measured by the Rating Anxiety in Dementia scale. Secondary outcomes include change in quality of life and depression, and outcomes for carers. The process evaluation will be guided by evaluation frameworks. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a purposive sample of participants (n = 10) and carers (n = 10), to evaluate acceptability and feasibility, as well as factors influencing participation and adherence. Interviews will also be conducted with therapists (n = 18) and wider stakeholders (n = 18), to explore contextual factors and barriers/facilitators to future implementation and scalability. A cost-utility analysis will be undertaken to determine the cost-effectiveness of Tech-CBT compared to usual care.DiscussionThis is the first trial to evaluate a novel technology-assisted CBT intervention to reduce anxiety in people living with MCI and dementia. Other potential benefits include improved quality of life for people with cognitive impairment and their care partners, improved access to psychological treatment regardless of geographical location, and upskilling of the psychological workforce in anxiety treatment for people living with MCI and dementia.Trial registrationThis trial has been prospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05528302 [September 2, 2022].

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.

Future-Proof Changes in Dutch Healthcare: Impact on the Governance of the Postgraduate Psychology Training

Future-Proof Changes in Dutch Healthcare: Impact on the Governance of the Postgraduate Psychology Training

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.

Early career psychologists “muddling through the same challenges”: how the experience of structured group supervision can support the transition to work

ABSTRACT Objective The transition from postgraduate psychology student to health professional is associated with steep learning and is under-researched. This qualitative study aimed to understand the experience of newly graduated psychologists and evaluate whether participation in a group supervision program offered within an Australian public health service assisted in the transition to work. Method All psychology graduates attending the group supervision program were invited to participate in a focus group. All responses were audio-recorded, transcribed and de-identified. Two focus groups were held with psychology graduates (n = 7) and one focus group was held separately with the psychology primary supervisors (n = 4). Results Thematic analysis generated five key themes: developing proficiency in core competencies, meeting psychology registrar requirements, meeting professional development needs through supervision, connecting with peers and feeling valued by the organisation. Conclusions While the experience of psychology graduates can be stressful and isolating, the group program provided peer connections, normalised transition to work experiences and provided a supportive platform for acquiring new knowledge and skills. The provision of a structured and competency-based group supervision program has benefits of meeting the developmental needs of psychology graduates professionally and helps them feel valued and supported by their workplace. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: New graduates in psychology are an expanding and important workforce in Australian health services. The transition from postgraduate degree to practicing psychologist is associated with steep learning and can be stressful at times. Group supervision is available in training and workplaces but is often inconsistent and its benefits are under-researched for recent psychology graduates. What this topic adds: (1) The provision of a structured and competency-based group supervision program for early career psychologists has the potential to meet the professional needs of these psychologists and help them feel supported and connected to their peers. (2) Structured group supervision programs offered in the workplace help normalise the psychology registrars experience and help them feel valued by their workplace, potentially impacting workforce retention. (3) A model is proposed for providing professional development and support in new psychology graduates that may be applied to other health services in Australia.

Assessing the fidelity of delivery style of a mental skills training programme for young people experiencing homelessness

There is a need for positive youth development/strengths-based approaches to support the wellbeing and social inclusion of young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. My Strengths Training for Life™ (MST4Life™) uses a strengths-based approach with the aim to improve young people’s resilience, self-worth, wellbeing and engagement in education, employment, and training. This mixed methods study assessed the fidelity of delivery style of the MST4Life™ programme, the extent to which frontline service staff can delivery psychologically informed programmes to service users and identified barriers and enablers to delivering with fidelity to the intended style. Observations of programme delivery (two facilitators per session) took place across early, middle, and late phases of the programme across a pilot phase (n = 18) and main study (n = 45). Facilitators also completed self-reflection forms following each session. The mean observation score was 82.2 ± 15.7 %, and facilitator self-report mean adherence score was 89.3 ± 6.2 % which indicate that the programme was delivered with high fidelity. Quantitative data was also analysed using non-parametric statistical test (Mann-Whitney U Test). There was a significant difference between observation scores for deliverers with postgraduate psychology training compared to deliverers without postgraduate psychology training (p = .029). Qualitative data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Barriers and enablers included communication, frontline staff support, logistics, and participant behaviours. Overall, this study highlights that despite the challenges of delivering complex community programmes to young people experiencing homelessness, it was possible for frontline service staff to deliver MST4Life™ with high fidelity.

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.

Post-Graduate Quantitative Research Methodology: A Strategic Plan to Alleviate Student Anxiety

Quantitative Research Methodology (QRM) is a module oftentimes considered by students and scholars to be challenging and anxiety-provoking. There are numerous negative attitudes toward QRM from learners leading to lower interest and reduced engagement. In the present study, it was observed that students tend to persistently perform poorly in the QRM module in a psychology postgraduate program in Sri Lanka. To further shed light on the identified issue, the current action research was conducted among three student cohorts. Initially, each cohort’s performance was quantitatively analyzed and compared to observe trends in student achievements. Following this process, a sample of instructor feedback on a few failed students was randomly selected. A qualitative analysis of feedback revealed difficulty in research paper formulation and deficits in statistical knowledge as two major reasons for inferior learner performance. The researchers introduced a strategic plan to address the issue, which includes unique tutoring sessions. The suggested strategy would help to alleviate anxiety and improve student learning prior to the final examination. The tutoring sessions are developed utilizing Samejima’s Graded Response Model (GRM), which is a form of Item Response Theory (IRT) that succeeds in providing a psychometrically robust framework to assess student ability. Thus, the present research initiates a dialogue to encourage educators in Sri Lanka to use data-driven strategies to assess learning, assessments, and feedback in postgraduate psychology programs.