Psychology and Psychotherapy-Theory Research and Practice最新文献

Objectives: Research consistently reports an association between auditory hallucinations and traumatic experiences, yet the psychological mechanisms underpinning this relationship remain poorly understood. Empirical evidence suggests that enduring dispositions, including early maladaptive schemas, interact with immediate stressors to elicit auditory hallucinations. The inner critic represents the activation of such enduring dispositions and concurs with common themes in auditory hallucinations. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the inner critic on speech illusions and the emotional valence of perceived words.

Design: A quasi-experimental design was utilised.

Methods: Forty-two non-clinical participants (67.40% female, M_age = 29.63) completed self-report questionnaires measuring predisposition to hallucination-like experiences, self-criticism and demanding and punitive parent schema modes. Participants then completed an auditory perception task, the Babble Task, inducing speech illusions before and after an inner critic imagery manipulation.

Results: A mixed factorial analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect of the inner critic manipulation on speech illusions, with participants reporting more speech illusions after the manipulation. Participants scoring high on the demanding parent mode reported more speech illusions overall. Linguistic analysis of speech illusions demonstrated an increase in negative tone across groups following the inner critic manipulation.

Conclusions: While acknowledging concerns regarding the convergent validity of the Babble Task, these findings add nuance to existing theories by suggesting that an activated inner critic impairs source monitoring and shapes the content of ensuing auditory intrusions. Additionally, the findings indicate the inner critic as a potential target for treatment in distressing auditory hallucinations.

Objective: As part of a task-sharing strategy, clinical psychologists are becoming increasingly expected to offer therapy training for staff in health care services to develop psychological mindedness to increase access and provision of psychological support for clients. The current study explored how 10 staff working in health care settings experienced Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) training and how they subsequently used it.

Methods: One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants; a constructivist grounded theory (GT) approach was used to generate a model based on the participants' reflections after the training.

Results: Staff shared how they felt they needed evidence of SFBT effectiveness in order to believe that learning a new model would be worth the required investment. They also found realistic role modelling that was relevant to their context to be particularly convincing as well as regular support from their peers and multidisciplinary meetings. Participants also shared some barriers to using SFBT in practice, including time-restricted clinics, service pressures and challenging clients.

Conclusion: The model describes a complex dynamic between personal, interpersonal and systemic factors that influenced the staff members' individual decision to abandon the more familiar medical model that represented a sense of comfort and safety. The study includes recommendations for how clinical psychologists can address the identified facilitators and barriers to facilitate more effective training programmes and training transfer.

Objectives: Despite studies showing that persons with hearing impairments (HI) or vision impairments (VI) have an increased risk of developing mental health disorders, mental health services frequently are not accessible and suited to the specific needs of both populations. However, there is limited research addressing how mental health services can be improved to meet these needs.

Design: This qualitative interview study explores barriers and strategies to improve accessibility in mental health services for persons with HI or VI in Germany, as viewed with a multi-perspective approach.

Methods: Using problem-centred interviews, which combine a flexible interview guide with a focus on specific issues, we applied a participatory research approach to gather insights from 58 participants, including mental health professionals specialised in treating persons with HI or VI and persons with HI or VI with lived experience as clients in mental health services.

Results: The qualitative content analysis yielded 44 inductive subcategories within a category system of seven deductive main categories. Key barriers included communication, limited visual accessibility and environmental challenges, while improvement strategies focused on tailored therapeutic adaptations as well as proactive and collaborative practices between therapists and clients.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for structural changes and expanded mental health services that cater to the specific needs of persons with sensory impairments. These insights should contribute to improving mental health services, training programs for professionals and emphasise the importance of including persons with HI or VI, both professionals and clients, in the participatory development of accessible care.

Background: Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common in people affected by dementia (people with dementia and family carers). There are many reviews of psychological interventions to reduce stress and distress in people with dementia and family carers, but little cross-fertilisation with the evidence base underpinning NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression (TTad).

Objectives: To review the psychological intervention literature for people with dementia and their family carers through the lens of TTad, thus providing a bridge between the two literatures.

Methods: We undertook a rapid scoping review of meta-analyses of TTad-recommended therapies used with people with dementia and family carers, including cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT), behavioural activation, problem-solving, counselling for depression and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Results: All meta-analytic reviews of cognitive and behavioural therapies (nine with family carers and a Cochrane review with people with dementia) demonstrated the effectiveness of behavioural activation and CBT-informed interventions in reducing symptoms of depression. Anxiety was less frequently studied, with no positive findings found for people with dementia. Psychoeducation was the most effective approach for anxiety reduction in carers. Evidence from meta-analyses of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for carers showed reduced symptoms of both depression and anxiety.

Conclusions: There are ontological and methodological differences in the literatures underpinning TTad and psychological interventions for people affected by dementia. To improve access to TTad for people with dementia and family carers, changes are required to research methodologies, TTad data collection and approaches to service delivery.

Aims: Ageism is one of the last socially accepted prejudices. This paper aims to highlight key areas of age discrimination and inequality in mental health services.

Discussion: It will discuss examples, drawn mainly from the UK, in terms of mental health inequalities to illustrate age inequality. It will define what is meant by 'older people' before discussing ageism and age equality. Examples will be given of the impact of ageism has on the mental health of older people themselves, the impact of institutional ageism on the unequal access older people have to age-appropriate services. Additionally, as older people present differently, their needs are not always recognised. This demonstrates the need for further training and education for health and social care professionals.

Conclusion: It will conclude with hope and encouragement for action with possible ideas to take forward to continue to address this. It calls for allies to address 'Everyday Ageism' and will signpost readers to resources that may assist them in their endeavours to challenge this.