Schemas and Countertransference in Forensic Mental Health Clinicians
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Schemas and Countertransference in Forensic Mental Health Clinicians
IRAS ID
256169
Contact name
Lydia Farzin-nia
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
Therapeutic relationships are complex interpersonal interactions in which both the clinician and patient play a role in shaping the course of the relationship. Strong emotional and behavioural responses in clinicians are known as countertransference responses and have the potential to damage the therapeutic relationship and derail clinical work. For example, when facing antisocial behaviours from a patient, a clinician may become disengaged and avoidant in their work. Countertransference literature defines countertransference as a therapist’s ‘vulnerability’ borne out of a clinician’s own experiences which shapes how they respond to patients. One way to explain this may be through schemas – which are structures for organising and interpreting incoming information. Schema theory suggests that early experiences lead to the development of maladaptive schemas which are unhelpful patterns that repeat throughout our lives. For example, when a clinician with a schema around unrelenting standards (having unreasonably high internalised standards) borne out of their experiences growing up, encounters a patient who degrades the clinicians abilities, this may be met with avoidance or even criticism on the part of the clinician as a way to protect the self from feelings generated by the schema being triggered. However a clinician without this schema may interpret a patient’s behaviour as serving another function and not as a reflection of their own incompetence and may be able to engage with the patient in a more helpful way. Therefore the purpose of this research is to investigate how patient interpersonal behaviour interacts with clinician schemas to predict countertransference responses. Countertransference responses are likely to be more prevalent and detrimental in forensic settings and within these settings the primary nurse plays an important role in a client’s recovery. Therefore patient interpersonal behaviours and clinician schemas and countertransference reactions will be measured within primary nurse and patient dyads using questionnaire-based measures within forensic settings.
REC name
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REC reference
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