Originalbeiträge (Originals). Belastung(sgrenz)en für Psychotherapeut:innen nach der Reform.

Loads and limits for outpatient psychotherapists after the reform Objectives: The reform of the psychotherapy directive in 2017 challenged psychotherapists by new obligations and processes. We investigated burdens psychotherapists experience due to the reform and differences concerning urban vs. rural region, half vs. full care license and psychotherapy method. METHODS: Of 128 psychotherapists approached, 41 (32 %) agreed to study participation. Semistructured interviews were examined via qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: 83 % (n = 34) expressed some kind of burden. Burdens in terms of time, pressure/ stress and having to decline patients were named most frequently. 54 % of the participants (n = 22) pointed out various limits to what they can accomplish, mostly related to shortened waiting times and treatment availability. Burdens were more common among psychotherapists with a half care license and behavioural therapy; there were no major differences between urban or rural residents. DISCUSSION: Burdens for psychotherapists may result from individual life situations and resources of treatment availability.

The Impact of Mental Imagery Instructions on Patients' and Therapists' Positive Affect and Strength-Based Behaviours Within Psychotherapy Sessions: A Randomized Controlled Process Study.

OBJECTIVE: Increased attention has recently been paid to the well-being and flourishing of patients in psychotherapy. This study investigated the occurrence of positive affect (PA) and strength-based behaviours within psychotherapy sessions contrasting positive versus neutral imagery instructions. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Seventy-eight sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy involving 26 patients (69.23% female; Mage = 40.31) treated by 13 therapists were selected. PA and strength-based behaviours of patients and therapists were coded on a minute-by-minute basis with the Resource-Oriented Microprocess Analysis. Each session started with a brief mental imagery instruction. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling. RESULTS: Mild levels of PA were very common, whereas stronger expressions were occasional, especially at the beginning and end of sessions. Strength-based behaviours were employed in one-fifth of the videos analysed. Therapists in the positive imagery instruction showed more strength-based behaviours in the beginning phase of sessions, p < 0.05. The two imagery instructions significantly differed in the session trajectories of PA, p < 0.05. A quadratic trend with higher initial values and a sharper decline in PA were found in the positive instruction, whereas the neutral instruction showed a flatter trend. CONCLUSION: Patients and therapists experience PA and discuss strengths in psychotherapy sessions despite patients' distress. The positive imagery instructions potentially induced a positive focus at baseline for therapists but had a negligible effect on the subsequent session progression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03767101 (registered December 6, 2018).

Psychologists' experience of working with people who hear voices and their views on the idea of voice simulation training: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Research indicates psychologists typically lack subjective understanding of voice hearing. Voice hearing simulation training has potential to improve understanding, empathy and confidence among clinicians, but psychologists have had limited input into its development. This study investigated psychologists' and a psychotherapist's clinical experience of working with people who hear voices and their views and recommendations for voice hearing simulation training. DESIGN: This was a qualitative study. METHODS: Clinical psychologists and one psychotherapist (N = 17) participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse transcribed data. RESULTS: The Clinical Experience theme comprised of subthemes Barriers to engagement, Diversity of voice hearing experiences, Lack of subjective understanding, Curiosity about voice hearing, Empathy for voice hearers, Using personal experiences to relate to voices, Clinical experience increases knowledge, Importance of supervision and colleague's support, Benefits of experiential training, Limited training in non-psychosis settings and Clinical experience increases confidence. The Views on Voice Hearing Simulation Training theme comprised of subthemes Improves subjective understanding, Concern about distress, Discomfort as a strength of voice hearing simulations, Artificiality of simulation, Increases empathy and Over-estimation of understanding. The Recommendations theme comprised of subthemes Discuss artificiality, Co-production, Promote voice diversity, Support staff and Maximise inclusivity. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that clinical experience improves psychologists' confidence and knowledge, yet participants reported a lack of subjective understanding of voice hearing. Co-produced simulation training between individuals who hear voices and clinicians was anticipated to improve subjective understanding, empathy and therapeutic relationships, which could support a range of staff and improve quality of care delivered.

Validation of the Italian Version of the Telepresence in Videoconference Scale (TVS) in a Sample of Psychologists and Psychotherapists During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Telepresence may play a fundamental role in establishing authentic interactions and relationships in online psychological interventions and can be measured by the Telepresence in Videoconference Scale (TVS), which was validated only with patients to date. This post hoc study aimed to validate the Italian version of the TVS with mental health professionals. METHOD: The Italian TVS was included in an online survey, whose primary aim was to assess the experiences of Italian psychologists and psychotherapists with online interventions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and was filled in by 296 participants (83.4% females, mean age = 42 years old). RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis supported the original factor structure only partially because the scale 'Absorption' (i.e., the feeling of losing track of time), as it was formulated, did not measure telepresence. Correlations were also explored between the TVS scales and some survey items pertaining to intimacy and emotional closeness to patients, comfort and positive as well as negative experiences with online interventions. CONCLUSION: The TVS may be a useful tool to measure physical and social telepresence in online interventions, both in patients and in professionals.

Dispositional Empathy Among Psychotherapists: A Latent Profile Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined therapists' dispositional empathy profiles and how they differ based on professional and personal characteristics. METHOD: A total of 376 clinicians was recruited for this study. Dispositional empathy was assessed with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Profiles were generated using latent profile analysis. Predictors of profiles were assessed with multiple self-report questionnaires measuring demographic and professional characteristics, romantic attachment styles, five-factor personality traits and vulnerable narcissism. RESULTS: A four-profile solution was retained with the following proportions: rational empathic (20%), disengaged/detached (10%), empathic immersion (35%) and insecure/self-absorbed (35%). Overall, few relationships were found regarding demographic and professional characteristics. In contrast, significant relationships were found between profile membership and personal characteristics, including avoidant and anxious attachment, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, intellect/imagination and vulnerable narcissism. CONCLUSION: The findings show that differences in therapists' empathic dispositions are linked to personality dimensions. Implications for psychotherapy research, practice and training are discussed.

Older patients' perspectives on the therapeutic relationship with young psychotherapists.

The current demographic change means that young psychotherapists and older patients will increasingly come into contact. Unique for this constellation is the intergenerational therapeutic relationship, which forms the basis of psychotherapy, but has not yet been the focus of empirical research. This qualitative study provides preliminary insights into how older patients (aged over 65) experience and perceive the therapeutic relationship with young psychotherapists (aged in their mid-20s to mid-30s). We conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve older patients (8 women, 4 men) and analysed their data using the grounded theory approach. We found a connection between the type of transference a participant demonstrated and their biographical as well as social experiences, desires, and fantasies. Overall, a tendency to seek harmony was observed among the participants, which was reflected in their behaviour towards young psychotherapists: (a) conflict avoidance, (b) (fantasised) therapy discontinuation, (c) adaption/subordination, and (d) solidarity, support, and protection. Our findings demonstrated that various intergenerational transference phenomena, including the roles in which young therapists are perceived, are associated with certain particularities and challenges, such as the topic of sexuality. It can be valuable for young psychotherapists to become aware of a potential role reversal that may result in older patients trying to support them.

Psychotherapist factors that patients perceive are associated with treatment failure.

Psychotherapy is a well-established and effective treatment for various psychiatric problems, but a substantial proportion of patients do not benefit from it, and many terminate treatment prematurely. Previous studies suggest that therapist dissatisfaction may play a pivotal role in premature treatment termination. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate therapist factors that may contribute to less-than-optimal results and dropout. Data were collected through a survey of patients (n = 736) with the experience of previous unsuccessful psychotherapy treatments. Based on prior research, the survey covered 13 therapist behaviors and traits, such as being unstructured or unengaged. The most common therapist factor that patients associated with treatment failure was poor assessment/understanding (86.7%), followed by inflexibility (71.7%) and poor knowledge (70.1%). Furthermore, this study identified four novel therapist-related factors: breaking the treatment contract, inappropriate sexual behaviors or comments, using non-conventional methods, and dominating behaviors. Overall, this study highlights the significance of therapist-related factors in premature treatment termination and treatment failure, shedding light on the crucial role therapists play in the therapeutic process. Understanding these factors is essential for improving psychotherapy outcomes and reducing dropout rates. Further investigations are needed to explore the impact of these therapist behaviors on treatment outcomes and to develop strategies for enhancing therapist competencies and skills to foster a more effective therapeutic alliance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Working through multiple crises: the experience of psychotherapists and psychoanalysts in Lebanon.

INTRODUCTION: This research explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychotherapists' practices and their ability to maintain a framework despite a shared reality with their patients. The specific focus in this article is on the Lebanese context, which is characterized by a series of crises including economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut blast. The objective of this study was to examine how the destabilization of the meta-frame due to crises necessitates adaptations in theoretical knowledge, practice, and setting. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study among a population consisting of mental health professionals, which were recruited in Lebanon through associations and societies of psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychoanalysts. Data was collected using semi-structured individual interviews. The interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), which allowed for a dynamic exploration of the participants' experiences. RESULTS: Our study revealed four superordinate themes: (1) The strained frontiers; (2) The cumulative traumatic reality and its impact; (3) A challenged professional identity; (4) The creativity stemming from collective trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the insecurity caused by external reality infiltrating the therapeutic setting. Online therapy allowed for continued work, but uncertainty about the online environment's impact on therapeutic relationships was observed. The study underscores the importance of adaptability, containment, and support for therapists navigating crises, particularly in the online setting.

Rorschach Human Movement and Psychotherapy: Relationship with the Therapist's Emotional Responses.

The emotional responses of psychotherapists to their patients, known as countertransference, can yield valuable insights into the patient's psychological functioning. Albeit from a different perspective, the Rorschach test also provides information about the patient's psychological processes. In particular, the Rorschach human movement response (M) has been shown to be a useful measure of higher-level psychological functioning. In an attempt to bridge these two largely different perspectives, the aim of this study was to explore the association between M responses in the Rorschach protocols of psychotherapy patients and emotional responses exhibited by their therapists. To this end, a convenience sample of 149 outpatients were administered the Rorschach according to the Comprehensive System, and their therapists completed the Therapist Response Questionnaire. Through a series of regression models, controlling for response style, response complexity, and degree of psychopathology, M demonstrated a significant association with the therapists' emotional responses. A lower number of M responses was associated with the therapists' feelings of disengagement, and a higher number of M responses was associated with the therapists' feelings of being more involved with the patient. Taken together, these results suggest a potential relationship between the number of M responses the respondent gives in the Rorschach and the subsequent development of the therapeutic alliance between the respondent and their therapist.

Using case formulation for prediction of the therapeutic alliance in treatment for borderline personality disorder.

Case formulation is a central tool for psychotherapists, which helps them tailor psychotherapy to the individual patient, particularly for treatments for complex and multilayered clinical problems, such as personality disorders (Kramer, 2019). Case formulation methodologies are still underutilized in psychotherapy research in the prediction of therapy processes. The present study included N = 60 patients with borderline personality disorder undergoing a brief treatment using an individualized treatment component (n = 31), as compared with a standard brief treatment (n = 29; Kramer et al., 2014). For each patient (in both groups as post hoc analysis based on videos), we performed a Plan analysis case formulation (Caspar, 2019): the idiographic information from the formulation was translated into quantitative scores (on a Likert-type scale) assessing patient's interactional agreeableness (vs. antagonism; Zufferey et al., 2019). We modeled the session-by-session predictions of the progression of the therapeutic alliance-rated by the patient and the therapist-over the course of treatment, as a function of interactional agreeableness, the individualization of treatment, as well as their interaction with the session number. Patients with high levels of agreeableness have a significant increase in their alliance assessment over time. Treatment based on the case formulation predicted session-by-session increase of the therapeutic alliance as rated by the therapists. This study was the first to explore intra- and interindividual dynamics of the therapeutic alliance in relationship with idiographic information extracted from case formulations. The results may help understand relationship struggles at the beginning of therapy for complex clinical problems, such as borderline personality disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Socioeconomic status and access to psychotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES) have significantly higher prevalence rates of mental disorders than those with higher SES, but are less likely to receive treatment. Studies from the United States show that individuals with higher SES are more likely to be offered a therapy place than those with low SES. In Germany, where the public health care system is without financial barriers, studies on access to treatment are lacking. METHOD: The present study investigated whether the SES of persons seeking psychotherapeutic help in Germany influences psychotherapists' decision to provide access to treatment. For this purpose, 504 licensed outpatient psychological psychotherapists participated in an online study, in which they read a series of case vignettes and rated how likely they would be to offer treatment in each case. SES was operationalized by occupation and language use. Additionally, we investigated whether treatment offers were affected by the disorder and the gender of the help seeker, the therapists' socioeconomic background, and other characteristics in interaction with SES. Bonferroni-corrected multifactorial repeated measures analysis of variances (ANOVAs) and mixed ANOVAs were calculated. RESULTS: Help seekers with low SES were 4.1% less likely to be offered treatment than those with moderate to high SES (F (1, 503) = 115.64; p = 0.000; η² = 0.187). The influence of SES on the probability of a therapy place offer varied significantly depending on the patient's disorder (p = 0.000): SES had a greater effect for bulimia than for depression and social anxiety disorder. Overall, the effect was small (η² = 0.026). No significant interaction between the gender of potential clients and SES was found (p = 0.062). The influence of SES on treatment accessibility varied depending on the therapeutic method for which the therapist was licensed and on the social status of the district in which the therapist's practice was located. The therapist's socioeconomic background (parental SES) did not interact with the potential client's SES. CONCLUSION: Therapist biases contributing to unequal access to treatment for individuals with low SES and other characteristics can aggravate mental health care disparities. Even though the effects we found were relatively modest, awareness of the association between SES and offers of therapy places might help practitioners to reflect on their own selection practices.

Therapist's interventions immediately after exceeding the client's therapeutic zone of proximal development: A comparative case study.

OBJECTIVE: When therapists' proposals are too demanding exceeding clients' readiness to move into change, clients may resist advancing. We aimed to understand how a therapist behaved immediately after the client resisted advancing into change within Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. METHODS: We analyzed a recovered and an unrecovered case, both with Major Depression, and followed by the same therapist. Through the Therapeutic Collaboration Coding System, we analyzed 407 exchanges of interest. RESULTS: In both cases, clients resisted more in advancing at intermediate sessions, mainly by the therapist's challenges to raise insight and debate cognitive beliefs in the recovered case, and to seek experiential meanings in the unrecovered case. Immediately after clients resisted advancing, the therapist tended to insist on challenging them in the same direction. In the recovered case, the therapist did so continually throughout the therapy, sometimes balancing between insisting or stepping back. In the unrecovered case, the therapist insisted on challenging, but mostly at the final session. Occasionally, the therapist insisted on challenging, and clients resisted over consecutive exchanges. CONCLUSION: Our results reinforce that to enact progress and change clients need to be pushed into change, however it requires therapists' skillful assessment of clients' tolerance to move in time.

Ludoterapia e alteridade: uma experiência de ludoterapia grupal à luz de Lévinas / Terapia de juego y alteridad: una experiencia de terapia de juego de grupo a la luz de Lévinas / Play therapy and otherness: a group play therapy experience in the light of Lévinas

RESUMO A ludoterapia de orientação humanista de Axline se baseia no pressuposto de que o jogo é a maneira natural da criança se expressar. Contudo, essa abordagem parece apresentar algumas lacunas éticas no que diz respeito à relação da criança com o Outro. Tais lacunas foram discutidas a partir do pensamento do filósofo Emmanuel Lévinas, que tratou da ética da alteridade radical. Neste sentido, este trabalho reflete como a ética levinasiana pode se manifestar não só na ludoterapia, mas também na prática clínica, por meio de uma pesquisa qualitativa com metodologia de estudo de caso. O grupo terapêutico aconteceu em 14 sessões de aproximadamente uma hora e era formado por três crianças de 5 a 7 anos. As sessões foram descritas de forma narrativa e a terapeuta escreveu, a partir delas, as suas Versões de Sentido. Ademais, foram realizadas anamneses, devolutivas, entrevistas com outros profissionais da saúde e visitas escolares. As sessões foram analisadas a partir da descrição e compreensão dos sentidos. Verificou-se que o processo grupal pareceu caminhar para uma maior abertura e proximidade entre os participantes do grupo e que a terapeuta precisou ir em direção à criança, isto é, demonstrar abertura à sua diferença. Concluiu-se que, ao entrar na brincadeira junto à criança, o psicoterapeuta não pôde apreender o mundo infantil, mas apenas cumprir com o seu dever ético e inferir que o encontro com as crianças em terapia significa descobrir a diferença pela via traumática. Ressaltou-se, além disso, a dificuldade em teorizar sobre a criança ou a infância, visto que ambas só têm sentido enquanto for fomentado o respeito à alteridade.

RESUMEN La Terapia de Juego humanista de Axline se basa en la suposición de que jugar es la forma natural del niño de expresarse. Sin embargo, este enfoque parece presentar lagunas éticas con respecto a la relación del niño con los demás. Estas lagunas se discutieron a partir de los pensamientos de Emmanuel Lévinas, un filósofo que escribió sobre la ética de la alteridad radical. En este sentido, se discutió cómo la ética de Lévinas puede verse en la terapia de juegos, incluida la práctica clínica. La investigación fue cualitativa con una metodología de estudio de caso. El grupo se realizó en 14 reuniones terapéuticas de una hora de duración y estuvo formado por tres niños de 5 a 7 años. Las reuniones se describieron en forma narrativa y la terapeuta escribió, a partir de ellas, sus Versiones de Significado. Además, se realizó anamnesis, devolutivos, entrevistas con otros profesionales de la salud y visitas escolares. Las sesiones se analizaron a partir de la descripción y comprensión de los sentidos. Fue posible verificar que el proceso del grupo se dirigió hacia una mayor apertura y proximidad entre los participantes del grupo, y que la terapeuta tuvo que dirigirse hacia los niños,es decir, demostrar apertura a su diferencia. Se concluyó que, al entrar en el juego con el niño, el psicoterapeuta no puede apoderarse del mundo de los niños, sino cumplir el deber ético; y reunirse con los niños en terapia era encontrar la diferencia a través de una forma traumática. Además, se destacó la dificultad para teorizar sobre el niño o la infancia, ya que ambos solo tienen sentido si se fomenta el respeto por la alteridad.

ABSTRACT Axline's humanistic-oriented Play Therapy assumes that play is a child's natural way of expressing herself. However, this approach seems to present some ethical gaps when thought concerning the relationship with others. Such gaps were discussed based on Emmanuel Lévinas' thoughts, a philosopher who wrote about radical otherness ethics. In this sense, it was necessary to reflect on how Levinasian ethics can be manifested in Play Therapy, including clinical practice. The research was qualitative, with a case study methodology. The therapeutic group took place in 14 sessions and consisted of three children, aged 5 to 7, with a one-hour meeting. The sessions were described narratively, and the Sense's Version of the therapist was written. Anamnesis, feedback, interviews with other health professionals and school visits were also conducted. The sessions were analyzed based on the description and understanding of meanings. It was found that the group process seemed to move towards greater openness and proximity among the participants and that the therapist needed to move towards the children, opening up to their differences. It was concluded that, when entering the play with the child, the psychotherapist cannot apprehend the child's world but only fulfill her ethical duty and meeting herself with the children in therapy was facing the difference through a traumatic via. It is noteworthy that it is difficult to theorize about childhood, and the theory will only make sense while promoting respect to otherness.

Emoções vivenciadas pelos psicoterapeutas-aprendizes nos serviços-escolas: uma leitura psicanalítica / Emociones vivenciadas por los psicoterapeutas-aprendices em las escuelas-clínicas: una lectura psicanalítica / Emotions experienced by apprentice psychotherapists at school-clinics: a psychoanalytic reading

RESUMO Os atendimentos clínicos realizados nos serviços-escolas são permeados por uma série de experiências emocionais vivenciadas pela díade psicoterapeuta-aprendiz/paciente. Diante das diversas nuances da clínica psicanalítica, o psicoterapeuta-aprendiz vivencia experiências que refletem em sua subjetividade. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar as vivências emocionais dos estudantes de graduação em psicologia durante os estágios em clínica psicanalítica e analisar as emoções percebidas em si mesmos pelos psicoterapeutas-aprendizes nos atendimentos em psicoterapia psicanalítica. Trata-se de um estudo clínico-qualitativo, utilizando-se o referencial teórico psicanalítico. Participaram 27 estudantes de psicologia, que realizavam atendimentos nos serviços-escolas de quatro Instituições de Ensino Superior. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semidirigidas, as quais foram submetidas à análise de conteúdo. Nos resultados observou-se a presença das vivências de ansiedade, medo, insegurança e nervosismo, presentes no processo psicoterapêutico. A identificação com as vivências emocionais dos pacientes e as dúvidas referentes à percepção das próprias emoções, foram importantes aspectos encontrados neste estudo. Tais resultados podem contribuir para a reflexão sobre a vivência desta experiência para o psicoterapeuta-aprendiz, a fim de melhor prepará-lo para os desafios da prática clínica psicanalítica.

RESUMEN Los atendimientos clínicos realizados en las escuelas clínicas están impregnados por una serie de experiencias emocionales vivenciadas por la díada psicoterapeuta-aprendiz / paciente. Ante los diversos matices de la clínica psicoanalítica, el psicoterapeuta-aprendiz vivencia experiencias que reflejan en su subjetividad. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar las vivencias emocionales de los estudiantes de graduación en psicología durante las etapas en clínica psicoanalítica y analizar las emociones percibidas en sí mismos por los psicoterapeutas-aprendices en las atenciones en psicoterapia psicoanalítica. Se trata de un estudio clínico-cualitativo, utilizando el referencial teórico psicoanalítico. Participaron veintisiete estudiantes de psicología, que realizaban atendimientos en las escuelas clínicas de cuatro Instituciones de Enseñanza Superior. La recolección de datos fue realizada a través de entrevistas semidirigidas las cuales fueron sometidas a análisis de contenido. En los resultados se observó la presencia de las vivencias de ansiedad, miedo, inseguridad y nerviosismo, presentes en el proceso psicoterapéutico. La identificación con las vivencias emocionales de los pacientes y las dudas referentes a la percepción de las propias emociones, fueron importantes aspectos encontrados en este estudio. Tales resultados pueden contribuir a la reflexión sobre la vivencia de esta experiencia para el psicoterapeuta-aprendiz, a fin de prepararlo mejor para los desafíos de la práctica clínica psicoanalítica.

ABSTRACT The psychotherapeutic clinic services in the school-clinics are permeated by a series of emotional experiences lived by the apprentice psychotherapist/patient dyad. In the light of the various nuances of the psychoanalytic practice, the apprentice psychotherapist goes through experiences that reflect on his subjectivity. This study aimed to investigate the emotional experiences of undergraduate psychology students during their stages in school-clinics and to analyze the emotions perceived in themselves in the attendance in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. This is a clinical-qualitative study using the psychoanalytic theoretical framework. Twenty-seven psychology students participated in this study who attended the school-clinics of four Higher Education Institutions. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, which were submitted to content analysis. The results showed the presence of anxiety, fear, insecurity and nervousness feelings in the psychotherapeutic process. Identification with the emotional experiences of patients and doubts regarding the perception of their own emotions were essential aspects found in this study. Such results may contribute to the reflection on the experience of the apprentice psychotherapist to better prepare him for the challenges of psychoanalytic clinical practice.

International professional practices in mental health, organization of psychiatric care, and COVID-19: A survey protocol.

OBJECTIVE: Our project aims to provide: an overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the field of mental health professionals in 23 countries;a model of recommendations for good practice and proposals for methods and digital tools to improve the well-being at work of mental health professionals and the quality of services offered during crisis and post-crisis periods;an in-depth ethics review of the assessment of the use of numerical tools for psychiatry professionals and patient support, including teleconsulting. METHODS: This is a large international survey conducted among 2,000 mental health professionals in 23 countries over a 12-month period. This survey will be based on 30 individual interviews and 20 focus group sessions, and a digital questionnaire will be sent online to 2,000 professionals based on the criteria of gender, age, professional experience, psychiatric specialty, context of work in psychiatry, and geographical location. Regarding the development of telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic, a pilot study on the use of digital tools will be carried out on 100 clients of psychiatry professionals in France and Belgium. DISCUSSION-CONCLUSION: This study will contribute to the co-construction of an international organization and monitoring system that takes into account psychiatric health professionals as major resources to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop efficient processes for preparing and anticipating crises by reducing psychosocial risks as much as possible. This project also aims to design tools for remote medicine and to develop the use of numerical tools for monitoring and supporting professionals and helping professionals to build the conditions for satisfactory operational work during crises and post-crisis situations, using adapted organizational methods. Our ongoing research should support professionals in the search for existing concrete solutions to cope with emergency work situations while maintaining an optimal quality of life.

'Rich' and 'poor' in mentalizing: Do expert mentalizers exist?

Mentalization theory is concerned with the capacity to notice, and make sense of, thoughts and feelings in self and others. This development may be healthy or impaired and therefore, by extension, it may be theorized that expertise in mentalizing can exist. Furthermore, a continuum from impairment to expertise should exist within separate dimensions of mentalizing: of self and of others. This study hypothesized that three groups would be distinguishable on the basis of their mentalizing capacities. In a cross-sectional design, Psychological Therapists ('expert' mentalizers; n = 51), individuals with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder ('poor' mentalizers; n = 43) and members of the general population ('non-clinical controls'; n = 35) completed a battery of self-report measures. These assessed the mentalizing of self and of others (using an extended version of the Reflective Function Questionnaire (RFQ18)), alexithymia and cognitive empathy. As hypothesized, Psychological Therapists' scores were higher than controls on self-mentalizing and control group scores were higher than those with BPD. Cognitive empathy scores in the BPD group indicated markedly lower capacities than the other two groups. Contrary to predictions, no significant differences were found between groups on mentalizing others in RFQ18 scores. The Psychological Therapist and BPD profiles were characterized by differential impairment with regards to mentalizing self and others but in opposing directions. Results suggest that the RFQ18 can identify groups with expertise in mentalizing. Implications of these results for the effectiveness of psychological therapy and of Psychological Therapists are discussed.

A sample of Italian psychotherapists express their perception and opinions of online psychotherapy during the covid-19 pandemic.

The covid-19 lockdown forced psychotherapists to use videoconferencing psychotherapy (VCP). There is little literature on the relationship between VCP and the theoretical orientation of the psychotherapist. The aim of our research work is to explore to what extent the Italian therapists used VCP and how they experienced the change in setting during lockdown. A sample of psychotherapists completed an on-line questionnaire including data about any previous experience of remote work, information on changes in setting during lockdown and their opinions on this experience. In the second phase, a statistical analysis of the data collected was performed with SPSS. The most represented theoretical orientations are psychoanalytic, Gestalt, systemic-relational and psychodynamic. Almost all the respondents had chosen to change the setting, opting for remote work via video calls, with no differences in terms of theoretical orientation and age group. Psychotherapeutic orientation seems to affect the type of difficulties encountered. The scientific literature on remote psychotherapy (VCP) so far does not correlate it with any specific theoretical-clinical model. Our research work offers some preliminary hypotheses about potential correlations between setting variations with the theoretical-clinical models.

Análise confirmatória e de invariância do inventário de habilidades sociais para situações terapêuticas difíceispara o contexto clínico / Confirmatory and invariance analysis of the social skills Inventory for difficult therapeutic situations for the clinical context / Análisis confirmatorio e invarianza del Inventario de habilidades sociales para situaciones terapéuticas difíciles para el contexto clínico

Este estudo teve como objetivo realizar a análise fatorial exploratória e confirmatória do Inventário de Habilidades Sociais para Situações Terapêuticas Difíceis em uma amostra de profissionais de Psicologia, bem como avaliar a invariância da medida para profissionais de diferentes abordagens terapêuticas. Participaram 212 terapeutas (85% mulheres). A análise fatorial confirmatória aponta para uma estrutura unifatorial como sendo a mais confiável para os dados, com 12 itens que compreendem um conjunto de comportamentos de quebra de regras por parte do paciente. A análise de invariância multigroupo confirmou que o inventário alcançou invariância configural, métrica, escalar e residual para a escala de frequência das habilidades sociais, considerando para os dois grupos de abordagem diferentes: Terapia Cognitivo Comportamental e outras abordagens. Sendo assim, o Inventário de Habilidades Sociais para Situações Terapêuticas Difíceis apresentou propriedades psicométricas que possibilitam o uso da medida para identificação das situações consideradas difíceis entre profissionais. (AU)

This study aimed to perform exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the Inventory of Social Skills for Difficult Therapeutic Situations with a sample of Psychology professionals, as well as to evaluate the invariance of the measure for professionals of different therapeutic approaches. Participants were 212 therapists (85% women). Confirmatory factor analysis verified a unifactorial structure as the most reliable for the data, with 12 items that comprise a set of rule breaking behaviors by the patient. Multigroup invariance analysis confirmed that the inventory achieved configural, metric, scale and residual invariance for the frequency scale of social skills, considering for the two different approach groups: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other approaches. The Inventory of Social Skills for difficult Therapeutic Situations presented psychometric properties that enable the use of the measure for identifying situations considered difficult by professionals. (AU)

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo realizar un análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio del Inventario de Habilidades Sociales para Situaciones Terapéuticas Difíciles en una muestra de profesionales de psicología, así como evaluar la invarianza de la medida para profesionales de diferentes enfoques terapéuticos. Los participantes fueron 212 terapeutas (85% mujeres). El análisis confirmatorio apunta a una estructura unifactorial como la más fiable para los datos, con 12 ítems que comprenden un conjunto de conductas de ruptura de reglas por parte del paciente. El análisis de invariancia multigrupo confirmó que el inventario alcanzó una invarianza configuracional, métrica, de escala y residual para la escala de frecuencia de las habilidades sociales, considerando para los dos grupos de abordaje diferentes: la Terapia Cognitivo Conductual y otros abordajes. Por tanto, el Inventario de Habilidades Sociales para Situaciones Terapéuticas Difíciles presentó propiedades psicométricas que permiten la utilización de la medida para identificar situaciones difíciles entre profesionales de psicología. (AU)

[On the notion of trust in psychotherapy - epistemic and evaluative aspects]. / Vertrauen in der Psychotherapie ­ epistemische und evaluative Aspekte.

On the notion of trust in psychotherapy - epistemic and evaluative aspects Objectives: One of the most consistent findings in the psychotherapy research literature is that the quality of the relationship between the patient and the therapist is a major determinant of psychotherapeutic effectiveness. Yet so far a consistent and assured definition of a helping alliance doesn't exist. Recently P. Fonagy and his research group have introduced the notion of "epistemic trust" to open up a new understanding of the effectiveness of the therapeutic relationship. Methods: The paper outlines Fonagy's et al. notion of "epistemic trust" and compares it to notions of trust devised in the humanities and social sciences from a clinical-psychodynamic perspective. Results: Fonagy et al. characterize epistemic trust as "trust in the authenticity and personal relevance of interpersonally transmitted information". Thus it enables an individual to safely learn from others and to orient himself within a primarily unknown and an ever changing social world. By contrast the humanities and social sciences offer a more comprehensive perspective insofar as trust is described as both an affective, cognitive and volitive phenomenon embedded within a specific ethical topography (evaluative trust). Conclusions: Taking trust's multidimensionality into account results in a slightly different clinical understanding of confidence building within psychotherapy and postulates a primacy of recognition over cognition in clinical encounter as well.

Therapeutic interventions in in-person and remote psychotherapy: Survey with psychotherapists and patients experiencing in-person and remote psychotherapy during COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: First, to investigate how psychotherapists and patients experience the change from in-person to remote psychotherapy or vice versa during COVID-19 regarding the therapeutic interventions used. Second, to explore the influence of therapeutic orientations on therapeutic interventions in in-person versus remote psychotherapy. METHOD: Psychotherapists (N = 217) from Austria were recruited, who in turn recruited their patients (N = 133). The therapeutic orientation of the therapists was psychodynamic (22.6%), humanistic (46.1%), systemic (20.7%) or behavioural (10.6%). All the data were collected remotely via online surveys. Therapists and patients completed two versions of the 'Multitheoretical List of Therapeutic Interventions' (MULTI-30) (version 1: in-person; version 2: remote) to investigate differences between in-person and remote psychotherapy in the following therapeutic interventions: psychodynamic, common factors, person-centred, process-experiential, interpersonal, cognitive, behavioural and dialectical-behavioural. RESULTS: Therapists rated all examined therapeutic interventions as more typical for in-person than for remote psychotherapy. For patients, three therapeutic interventions (psychodynamic, process-experiential, cognitive interventions) were more typical for in-person than for remote psychotherapy after correcting for multiple testing. For two therapeutic interventions (behavioural, dialectical-behavioural), differences between the four therapeutic orientations were more consistent for in-person than for remote psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic interventions differed between in-person and remote psychotherapy and differences between therapeutic orientations in behavioural-oriented interventions become indistinct in remote psychotherapy.