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01-12-2013 | Original Paper

Working With the ‘Difficult’ Patient: The Use of a Contextual Cognitive-Analytic Therapy Based Training in Improving Team Function in a Routine Psychiatry Service Setting

Authors: Rosangela Caruso, Bruno Biancosino, Cristiana Borghi, Luciana Marmai, Ian B. Kerr, Luigi Grassi

Published in: Community Mental Health Journal | Issue 6/2013

Abstract

The clinical management of ‘difficult’ patients is a major challenge which exposes mental health teams to an increased risk of frustration and stress and may lead to professional burnout. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a cognitive-analytic therapy (CAT) based training undertaken by a mental health team working with ‘difficult’ patients reduced professional burnout symptoms, improved patients’ service engagement and increased the levels of team-cohesion. Twelve mental health staff members from different professional and educational backgrounds took part in five 2-hour sessions providing a basic CAT training intervention, an integrative and relational model of psychotherapy for the treatment of borderline personality disorders. Participants were administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Service Engagement Scale (SES) and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) before (T0) and after (T1) CAT training, and at 1-month follow-up (T2). A significant decrease were found, at T2, on the MBI Emotional Exhaustion scores, the SES Availability subscale, the GEQ Attraction to Group-Social and Group Integration-Social, while the MBI-Personal Accomplishment scores increased from baseline.The results of this study suggest that a CAT-based training can facilitate team cohesion and patient engagement with a service and reduce burnout levels among mental health team members dealing with ‘difficult’ patients.

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Title: Working With the ‘Difficult’ Patient: The Use of a Contextual Cognitive-Analytic Therapy Based Training in Improving Team Function in a Routine Psychiatry Service Setting
Authors: Rosangela Caruso
Bruno Biancosino
Cristiana Borghi
Luciana Marmai
Ian B. Kerr
Luigi Grassi
Publication date: 01-12-2013
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Community Mental Health Journal / Issue 6/2013
Print ISSN: 0010-3853
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2789
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-012-9579-x

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Working With the ‘Difficult’ Patient: The Use of a Contextual Cognitive-Analytic Therapy Based Training in Improving Team Function in a Routine Psychiatry Service Setting

Abstract

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