The increase in emotional symptoms of novice clinical psychology trainees compared with a control cohort

Abstract

espanolResumen La investigacion transversal ha mostrado que los practicantes de psicologia clinica suelen enfrentar un amplio rango de estresores relacionados con la practica clinica y tienden a presentar mayor grado de malestar emocional que otros estudiantes de psicologia. Sin embargo, ningun estudio longitudinal ha analizado este hecho. Este articulo analiza la evolucion de los sintomas emocionales entre un grupo de practicantes en psicologia clinica novatos comparados con una cohorte control. Se reclutaron 575 estudiantes de Psicologia colombianos: 52.9% comenzaban su practica clinica y 47.1% cursaban un semestre normal. Al inicio del semestre (T1), los participantes respondieron a medidas de sintomas emocionales (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, DASS-21; General Health Questionnaire-12, GHQ-12). Aproximadamente dos meses despues (T2), respondieron al DASS-21 y GHQ-12. Los dos grupos no difirieron en las puntuaciones del DASS-21 y GHQ-12 en el T1. Los ANOVA de medidas repetidas Bayesianos mostraron que los practicantes incrementaron sus puntuaciones en el DASS-Total, DASS-Depresion y DASS-Estres mas que los participantes que asistian a un semestre normal. Este es el primer estudio que muestra que los practicantes de psicologia clinica experimentan un mayor incremento de sintomas emocionales que los de una cohorte control. EnglishAbstract Cross-sectional research has shown that clinical psychology trainees usually face a wide range of stressors related to the clinical practice and tend to present higher distress than other psychology students. However, to our knowledge, no longitudinal study has been conducted analyzing this fact. Specifically, this study analyses the evolution of emotional symptoms among a group of novice clinical psychology trainees compared with a control cohort. We recruited 575 Colombian Psychology undergraduates: 52.9% were in the semester in which they began their clinical practice, and 47.1% were attending a regular semester. At the beginning of the semester (T1), participants responded to measures of emotional symptoms (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21, DASS-21; General Health Questionnaire - 12, GHQ-12). Approximately two months later (T2), participants responded to the DASS-21 and GHQ-12. The two groups did not differ in their scores on the DASS-21 and the GHQ-12 at T1. Bayesian repeated-measures ANOVA showed that clinical psychology trainees showed higher increases in scores on the DASS-Total, DASS-Depression, and DASS-Stress than participants attending a regular semester. This is the first study that shows clinical psychology trainees experiencing a higher increase in emotional symptoms compared with a control cohort.