Healthy Volunteers
Conditions
Keywords
cross-cultural competencies, internet-based training, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), psychotherapy training, competence training
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a web-based training program with text-based information as well as practical exercises can improve cross-cultural competencies in therapists.
Detailed description
As the number of patients from diverse cultures increases in psychotherapeutic care, cross-cultural competencies of therapists become increasingly important. In particular, mental health care of patients with immigration background needs to be improved as studies show that these patients drop out of treatment more often and benefit less from therapy. In addition, patients with immigration background and refugees show higher prevalences in mental illnesses. Nevertheless, evaluated training programs to improve cross-cultural competencies in psychotherapists are lacking. In particular, web-based training programs, which allow therapists to work time-flexible and at their own pace on a training, are, to date, missing completely. For the current study, a web-based training program to improve therapists' cross-cultural competencies was developed. It is based on existing conceptions of cross-cultural competencies. The developed program consists of six modules with the following contents: definitions and conceptions of culture, the role of cross-cultural competencies in psychotherapy, the influence of prejudices and discrimination as well as the role of migration and acculturation, and culturally sensitive diagnostics. The modules contain PDF-files with text-based information, video files, case studies with associated questions as well as practical exercises. The main focus of the training is the participants' self-reflection concerning their conceptions of (their own) culture and their beliefs about culturally diverse patients. The training group will be compared to two other groups, i.e. an education only and a waitlist control group. Whereas the waitlist control group will not receive any training materials, the education only group will receive a slimmed down version of the training consisting only of text-based information files.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALEducation only
Six modules containing only PDF-files with text-based information. Participants can download the modules and associated materials from an online platform they need to register for. They receive access to modules once a week. After six weeks the education is completed.
BEHAVIORALTraining
Six modules containing PDF-files with text-based information, video files, case studies with associated questions and practical exercises. Participants can download the modules and associated materials from an online platform they need to register for. They receive access to modules and associated exercises once a week. After six weeks the training is completed.
Sponsors
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Philipps University Marburg
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* current psychotherapeutic work * Internet access * sufficient German language skills * ongoing or completed training in Psychotherapy
Exclusion criteria
* too much previous knowledge about cross-cultural competencies (\> 10h training)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Transcultural Competencies of Psychotherapists Questionnaire (TKKP; Reichardt et. al., in prep.) | pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training); follow up (6 month after training completion) | Change in cross-cultural psychotherapeutic competencies |
| Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI; Sodowsky, 1994) | pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training); follow-up (6 month after training completion) | Change in cross-cultural psychotherapeutic competencies |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural sensitivity in actual psychotherapeutic work III | pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), follow-up (6 month after training completion) | Satisfaction with cross-cultural therapies provided in actual psychotherapeutic work (rating scale) |
| Cultural sensitivity in actual psychotherapeutic work IV | pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), follow-up (6 month after training completion) | Perceived competence in the currently provided cross-cultural therapies (rating scale) |
| Knowledge regarding the provision of cross-cultural psychotherapy | post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training) | Test of specific knowledge gained during the training (knowledge test in multiple choice answer format) |
| Cultural sensitivity in actual psychotherapeutic work I | pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), follow-up (6 month after training completion) | Percentage of culturally diverse patients currently in treatment in own actual psychotherapeutic work |
| Learning success scale | post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training); follow-up (6 month after training completion) | Rating of competencies achieved through the training for the treatment of culturally diverse patients (rating scale, rating of the degree to which certain competencies have been achieved) |
| Cultural sensitivity in psychotherapeutic work (Behavioural change measure) | post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), 2 months after training completion; follow-up (6 month after training completion) | Rating of different case examples with focus on expected difficulty and effectiveness of psychotherapy (given different cases with different disorders, severity levels, and cultural backgrounds) |
| Training satisfaction scale | post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training); follow-up (6 month after training completion) | Satisfaction with the training (rating scale; items assessing satisfaction with contents and structure of the developed training) |
| Cultural sensitivity in actual psychotherapeutic work II | pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), follow-up (6 month after training completion) | Willingness to treat culturally diverse patients in own actual psychotherapeutic work (rating scale) |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed