The impact of using specialist groupwork practitioners to facilitate self-awareness groups in a training course for trainee cognitive behaviour therapists
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN15573664 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15573664 |
- Submission date
- 16/02/2022
- Registration date
- 15/03/2022
- Last edited
- 15/03/2022
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
NHS talking therapies services are also known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy provided in IAPT.
Training of IAPT therapists is difficult and stressful, and can result in patients feeling like the therapist is working from a textbook, meaning patients are dissatisfied.
The self-practice/self-reflection (SPSR) model works to support development of the 'personal self' and the 'therapist self' through two interrelated processes called 'self-practice' and 'self-reflection' whereby the practitioner practises CBT strategies on themselves and then reflects on how their thoughts, feelings and behaviour interact. SPSR has been shown to be acceptable to trainees, and to have several positive effects on trainees.
The overall aim of the project is to evaluate the impact of using Group Analysts and/or Groupwork Practitioners to facilitate self-practice/self-reflective (SPSR) groups in a Pg. Dip. Training course for trainee high intensity cognitive behaviour therapists.
Who can participate?
The participants with be a convenience sample recruited at the beginning of the next cohort of approximately 40 students on the Post Graduate Diploma Cognitive Behaviour Therapy course beginning in January 2022.
What does the study involve?
The study involves participants completing questionnaires about self-awareness, confidence in using relational skills in everyday practice, self-perceived stress, and satisfaction with the course. Recording role plays and attending SPSR groups is what all students would be expected to do during training.
SPSR Groups will last for 1.25 hours and there will be approximately 4 students in each group. There will be six group sessions over the 12 months of the study.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participating in SPSR groupwork has the potential to improve students’ relational skills and self-awareness. It is hoped that by doing so students will have a better experience on the course and will report less perceived stress. Benefits of participating include a potentially positive impact on patients. Some students may be motivated by an altruistic desire to contribute to better training in psychotherapy because this may indirectly improve patients’ care and treatment in the long-term (Khatamian Far, 2018).
Some people find taking part in groupwork difficult and distressing. There is the potential to be disturbed by hearing about other members’ experiences, or to become involved in disagreements or conflict. The Group Analysts and/or Groupwork Practitioners who will be co-facilitating the SPSR groups are aware of the need to support members to manage their discussions in a constructive manner.
In addition, it is possible that participants may feel embarrassed by completing the self-awareness questionnaire. However, questions about how one thinks and feels are routine in the training of psychotherapists. The questionnaire has recently been used in a similar study evaluating the impact of using SPSR with trainees and no adverse events were reported (Scott et al. 2021).
All students will complete a self-care and safety plan before the groupwork begins. Support will be offered by a member of staff not directly involved in the project if a student is distressed or destabilised by doing any of the exercises. All students will have access to student services if they need more support.
Where is the study run from?
Teeside University (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
July 2021 to July 2023
Who is funding the study?
The Institute of Group Analysis (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Nicola Walker, n.walker@tees.ac.uk
Contact information
Principal Investigator
Centuria Building
Victoria Road
Middlesbrough
TS1 3QD
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-1744-4498 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 7469776070 |
| n.walker@tees.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Interventional non randomized |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | 41182_PIS_v5_01Feb2022.pdf |
| Scientific title | The impact of using Group Analysts/Groupwork Practitioners to facilitate self-practice/self-reflective groups in a Pg. Dip. Training course for trainee high-intensity cognitive behaviour therapists |
| Study acronym | SPSR Groupwork |
| Study objectives | What is the impact of involving Group Analysts and/or Groupwork Practitioners to facilitate self-practice/self-reflective groups in a Pg. Dip. Training course for trainee high-intensity cognitive behavioural therapists? |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 20/01/2022, Health Research Ethics Committee (Teesside University, Campus Heart, Southfield Rd, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX, UK; +44 1642 342410; M.Islam@tees.ac.uk), ref: 7656 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Incorporating self-practice/self-reflection groups facilitated by Group Analysts/Groupwork practitioners in the training of high intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapists. |
| Intervention | The overall aim of the project is to evaluate the impact of using Group Analysts and/or Groupwork Practitioners to facilitate self-practice/self-reflective (SPSR) groups in a Pg. Dip. Training course for trainee high intensity cognitive behaviour therapists. The study uses a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design to measure change within-subjects using an analysis of variance in the data (ANOVA) when involving Group Analysts and/or Groupwork Practitioners to facilitate self-practice/self-reflective groups during the Consolidating Knowledge and Skills (CKS) module. THE EXISTING COURSE The existing course incorporates many procedures required for the study. For examples, role plays are standard elements of CBT training courses and are recorded for review by students. Lectures, seminars, and readings about SPSR were introduced into the CBT training course at this university in 2021 and are included in a module entitled ‘Consolidating knowledge and skills for the practice of CBT’ (CKS). All students are expected to complete a workbook in their own time via distance learning which involves self-practice and self-reflection. The module is assessed by submission of a 500-word reflective account based on their experiences across the three CBT modules. GROUPWORK FACILITATORS Groupwork facilitators will be qualified Group Analysts or Groupwork Practitioners and will be recruited through the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA). Some written materials about SPSR groupwork i.e., Chapter 4: ‘Guidance for Facilitators’ from Experiencing CBT from the Inside Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection (SPSR) Workbook for Therapists (Bennett-Levy & Thwaites, 2015) will be sent to anyone interested in finding out about the project. Once approximately twelve facilitators have been engaged, an online orientation session lasting 2-3 hours will be convened to introduce them to the project and to answer any questions they have about it. Groupwork facilitators are not part of the study team (i.e., they will be external, employed on a casual contract, paid at £60 per group session). Their contract will include a section on the limits of confidentiality and will also outline the responsibilities of a SPSR groupwork facilitator and their remuneration. Once agreed and signed, contracts will be emailed to successful recruits with a copy of the claim form. Times for the groups will be agreed and Microsoft (MS) Teams invites will be set up by the Lead Researcher/s. INDEPENDENT OUTCOME ASSESSORS CTS-R assessors will be accredited Cognitive Behaviour Therapists and will be recruited through the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). Some written materials about rating the roleplay i.e., the Manual of the Revised Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS-R) (James et al., 2001) will be sent to anyone interested in finding out about the project. Once approximately twelve independent assessors with experience of using the CTS-R in practice have been engaged, an online orientation session lasting 2-3 hours will be convened to introduce them to the project and to answer any questions they have about it. CTS-R assessors are not part of the study team (i.e., they will be external, employed on a casual contract, paid at £30 per role play). As above, their contract will include a section on the limits of confidentiality and will also outline the responsibilities of a CTS-R assessor and their remuneration. Once agreed and signed, contracts will be emailed to successful recruits with a copy of the claim form. Instructions will be provided for downloading videos and for uploading completed CTS-R forms. SPSR GROUPWORK During the induction week (Friday 28th Jan to Friday 4th Feb) students will be introduced to the CKS module through attending four interactive seminars (6.5 hours teaching). They will be given Chapter 3: ‘Guidance for Participants’ from Experiencing CBT from the Inside Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection (SPSR) Workbook for Therapists (Bennett-Levy & Thwaites, 2015). All students are expected to complete the CKS module and participation in the SPSR groupwork will be mandatory. However, data will only be collected from students if they have given informed consent. All students will be asked to express a preference regarding the most convenient day and time for them to join an SPSR group. We will assign students to different groups based on their preference. Each SPSR group will comprise a mix of students who have given informed consent to take part and those who have not. The group facilitator will not know which student is a participant of the study unless individual students inform them. The groups are for students to reflect on their personal practice of CBT based on six modules from the SPSR workbook which they will have online access to (Bennett-Levy & Thwaites, 2015). The SPSR groups will be facilitated by Group Analysts or Groupwork Practitioners approved by the Institute of Group Analysis and will start after the Easter break. The groups will meet six times during the training programme and electronic announcements will be made at least one week before each group session to prompt students to complete the specific SPSR exercise timetabled for that group. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Changes in students’ level of specific relational skills (i.e., interpersonal effectiveness, collaboration and eliciting appropriate emotional expression) in standardised role plays will be measured at two points (at baseline and at 12 months) through observation of video recordings and assessment using the Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale-Revised (CTS-R) (Blackburn et al., 2001). |
| Secondary outcome measures | Measured at two points (at baseline and at 12 months) 1. Change in students’ self-rated level of self-awareness (using The Counselor Self-Awareness Scale, Oden et al., 2009) 2. Students’ experience of training (using, The Course Experience Questionnaire Ramsden, 1991) 3. Change in their level of perceived stress (using The Perceived Stress Scale, Cohen et al., 1983) 4. Change in their self-rated confidence in using relational skills in everyday practice (using a questionnaire designed for the study) |
| Overall study start date | 08/07/2021 |
| Completion date | 30/07/2023 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 33 |
| Total final enrolment | 30 |
| Key inclusion criteria | All students will be included if they have given informed consent, both verbal and written, to the video recordings of standardised role-plays and the collection of questionnaire data. Retention will be promoted by thanking students on a regular basis. |
| Key exclusion criteria | No student will be excluded. |
| Date of first enrolment | 28/01/2022 |
| Date of final enrolment | 04/02/2022 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
Victoria Road
Middlesbrough
TS1 3QD
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
Centuria Building Victoria Road
Middlesbrough
TS1 3QD
England
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 1642 342410 |
|---|---|
| M.Islam@tees.ac.uk | |
| Website | https://www.tees.ac.uk |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/03z28gk75 |
Funders
Funder type
Research organisation
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 30/11/2023 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Published as a supplement to the results publication |
| Publication and dissemination plan | The Institute of Group Analysis require a written outcome and evaluation summary for publication for IGA members and external organisations. The study protocol will be published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal, and the editor has indicated that the journal Group Analysis would be happy to consider any articles that would derive from the investigation (subject to the usual formal processes of peer review). Other output and deliverables include conference, and event presentations e.g., a presentation about the project to the interdisciplinary research network at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge is planned for 25th Feb. |
| IPD sharing plan | All data generated or analysed during this study will be included in the subsequent results publication |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant information sheet | version 5 | 01/02/2022 | 17/02/2022 | No | Yes |
Additional files
Editorial Notes
17/02/2022: Trial's existence confirmed by Teeside University
