TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors influencing ‘burn-out’ in newly-qualified counsellors and psychotherapists
T2 - A cross-cultural, critical review of the literature
AU - Davies, Siân M.
AU - Sriskandarajah, Shamini
AU - Staneva, Aleksandra A.
AU - Boulton, Helena C.M.
AU - Roberts, Chelsey
AU - Shaw, Shereen H.
AU - Silverio, Sergio A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to extend thanks to Mrs. Elaine Baker who read and provided critical feedback to an earlier version of this paper. Sergio A. Silverio (King's College London) is currently supported by the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South London [NIHR ARC South London] at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
PY - 2022/3/1
Y1 - 2022/3/1
N2 - Mental health problems have been established as one of the leading causes of the global burden of disease. Approximately a quarter of all people worldwide will experience a mental disorder during their lifetime. With depression and anxiety becoming the leading causes of mental ill health globally, the numbers of people reporting mental health complaints are set to grow. The dramatic increase in reporting and diagnosis of mental health disorders has been in parallel to a decline in the ability to cope with mental health symptoms and a rise in the incidence of self-harm and suicidal ideation. While mental health assessment and diagnoses are usually the responsibility of general practitioners (family doctors) or psychiatrists, the frontline provision of mental health care is often delegated to counsellors and psychotherapists. Publicly funded counselling and psychotherapy services vary across the globe, but are commonly under-resourced and lacking in adequate funding. This may lead to insufficient clinical supervision and compressed time to complete continuing professional development, which are both vital for new counsellors and psychotherapists to feel confident in providing care, and to learn new skills. Newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists may also experience emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion or ‘burn-out’. This position paper aims to critically appraise available cross-cultural literature on the experiences of ‘burn-out’ by newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, globally. Finally, we make recommendations for how best to support the mental health and psychological well-being of newly qualified practitioners.
AB - Mental health problems have been established as one of the leading causes of the global burden of disease. Approximately a quarter of all people worldwide will experience a mental disorder during their lifetime. With depression and anxiety becoming the leading causes of mental ill health globally, the numbers of people reporting mental health complaints are set to grow. The dramatic increase in reporting and diagnosis of mental health disorders has been in parallel to a decline in the ability to cope with mental health symptoms and a rise in the incidence of self-harm and suicidal ideation. While mental health assessment and diagnoses are usually the responsibility of general practitioners (family doctors) or psychiatrists, the frontline provision of mental health care is often delegated to counsellors and psychotherapists. Publicly funded counselling and psychotherapy services vary across the globe, but are commonly under-resourced and lacking in adequate funding. This may lead to insufficient clinical supervision and compressed time to complete continuing professional development, which are both vital for new counsellors and psychotherapists to feel confident in providing care, and to learn new skills. Newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists may also experience emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion or ‘burn-out’. This position paper aims to critically appraise available cross-cultural literature on the experiences of ‘burn-out’ by newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, globally. Finally, we make recommendations for how best to support the mental health and psychological well-being of newly qualified practitioners.
KW - Counsellor
KW - Psychotherapist
KW - Training
KW - Burn-out
KW - Newly Qualified
KW - Global Mental Health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118130041&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/capr.12485
DO - 10.1002/capr.12485
M3 - Article
SN - 1473-3145
VL - 22
SP - 64
EP - 73
JO - Counselling and Psychotherapy Research
JF - Counselling and Psychotherapy Research
IS - 1
ER -
