Service user involvement in cognitive behavioural therapy training: an interpretive phenomenological analysis
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-02-2018-0014 |
| Date | 13 May 2019 |
| Pages | 186-198 |
| Published date | 13 May 2019 |
| Author | Peter Thomas Garwood,Alexander Hassett |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Mental health education |
Service user involvement in cognitive
behavioural therapy training: an
interpretive phenomenological analysis
Peter Thomas Garwood and Alexander Hassett
Abstract
Purpose –The last two decades have seen an increase in service user involvement (SUI) in the training of
Mental Health Professionals (MHP). There is developing empirical support for SUI in MHP training, however,
there is no published research into SUI in the training of Cognitive Behavioural Therapists. The purpose of this
paper is to explore cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) trainees’experience of SUI in their training. The study
focuses on how an individual service user (SU) led training session is experienced and how this differs to
routine CBT training.
Design/methodology/approach –Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants.
Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Findings –Data revealed three superordinate themes: first, predisposing influences on learning; second,
factors associated with emotional processing of experience; and third, impact upon learning outcomes. The
results suggest that participants’appraisal of their learning from SUI maybe influenced by how they
accommodate the emotional impact of the experience.
Originality/value –The paper makes recommendations for educators on courses involving service users
(SUs), acknowledges the study’s methodological limitations and suggests areas for future research.
Keywords Education, Cognitive, User, Therapy, Service, Behavioural
Paper type Research paper
Policy context
Shifts in the dynamic between service users (SUs) and health professional has led to changes in
policy governing service user involvement (SUI) in healthcare planning and delivery, including
education and training (Rogers and Pilgrim, 2014). Increased SUI in the planning and delivery of
mental healthcare has been advocated for over the past two decades (Department of Health,
1999, 2001, 2005, 2007). There has been an increased partnership between SUs and
educational institutes in the delivery of training for nurses (Department of Health, 2006; ENB,
2000) psychiatrists (Fadden et al., 2005) and clinical psychologists (British Psychological
Society, 2010). The British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP)
publish a course accreditation process for courses providing training in Cognitive and
Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP, 2015), which stipulates, “Courses will be expected to
demonstrate how they have meaningful involvement of SUs in the development and delivery of
the programme”(p. 15).
Arguments for SUI in training
Arguments for SU inclusion in training broadly fall into two positions: philosophical/ethical and
evidence-based justifications (Schreur et al., 2015). Ethical justifications include: the potential to
re-evaluate the view that the SU is significantly different to him/herself (Croft and Beresford,
1994); inculcate lasting positive attitudes in trained professionals (Tew et al., 2004); and attention
Received 23 February 2018
Revised 28 September 2018
Accepted 1 February 2019
Peter Thomas Garwood is
based at Education and
Training Department, Sussex
Partnership NHS Foundation
Trust, Worthing, UK.
Alexander Hassett is based at
Salomons Centre for Applied
Psychology, Canterbury Christ
Church University,
Canterbury, UK.
PAGE186
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THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
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VOL. 14 NO. 3 2019, pp.186-198, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228 DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-02-2018-0014
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