Training of Cross-cultural Competencies in Psychotherapists

NCT ID: NCT03038347

Last Updated: 2022-11-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 173 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-09-15
• Study Completion Date: 2022-08-31

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.

Conditions

Healthy Volunteers

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Training

In the training group, participants work six weeks on the training program, one module per week. The modules contain PDF-files with text-based information, video files, case studies with associated questions as well as practical exercises that participants perform independently. The main purpose of this intervention is the improvement of cross-cultural competencies in psychotherapists

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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.

Education only

In the education only group, participants work six weeks on a slimmed down version of the training program. The modules only contain text-based information without any exercises. After completion, participants receive access to the practical exercises, case studies and video files as well. Main purpose of the education only group is to determine whether the practical part of the training program can offer additional benefit.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Education only

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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.

Waiting control

Initially, participants do not receive any training contents. After a six week waiting period, they can participate in the training program as well. Modules are equivalent to those of the training group. Purpose of this group is to determine whether the training program is effective.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Training

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.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Education 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.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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)

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Philipps University Marburg

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Cornelia Weise

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Cornelia Weise, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg

Winfried Rief, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg

Ulrike von Lersner, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Department of Transcultural Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin

Gerhard Andersson, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University

Locations

Philipps University Marburg

Marburg, Hesse, Germany

Countries

Germany

References

Fazel M, Wheeler J, Danesh J. Prevalence of serious mental disorder in 7000 refugees resettled in western countries: a systematic review. Lancet. 2005 Apr 9-15;365(9467):1309-14. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)61027-6.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 15823380 (View on PubMed)

Gaitanides, S. (2001). Zugangsbarrieren von Migrant (inn) en zu den sozialen und psychosozialen Diensten und Strategien interkultureller Öffnung. In G. Auernheimer (Hrsg.), Migration als Herausforderung für pädagogische Institutionen (pp. 181-194). Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Mösko, M., Baschin, K., Längst, G., & von Lersner, U. (2012). Interkulturelle Trainings für die psychosoziale Versorgung. Psychotherapeut, 57(1), 15-21.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Mosko MO, Pradel S, Schulz H. [The care of people with a migration background in psychosomatic rehabilitation]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2011 Apr;54(4):465-74. doi: 10.1007/s00103-011-1245-x. German.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 21465403 (View on PubMed)

Reichardt, J., von Lersner, U., Rief, W., & Weise, C. (in Vorb.). Entwicklung und Validierung des Inventars zur Erfassung transkultureller Kompetenzen bei Psychotherapeuten (TKKP).

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Sodowsky, G. R., Taffe, R. C., Gutkin, T. B., & Wise, S. L. (1994). Development of the Multicultural Counseling Inventory: A Self-Report Measure of Multicultural Competencies. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 41(2), 137-148.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Sue, D. W., Arredondo, P., & McDavis, R. J. (1992). Multicultural counseling competencies and standards: A call to the profession. Journal of Counseling & Development, 70(4), 477-486.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Reichardt, J., von Lersner, U., Rief, W., & Weise, C. (2017). Wie lassen sich transkulturelle Kompetenzen bei Psychotherapeuten steigern? Vorstellung eines webbasierten Trainingsprogramms [How to improve cross-cultural competencies in psychotherapists? Introduction of a web-based training program]. Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 65(3), 155-165. doi:10.1024/1661-4747/a000316

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Other Identifiers

Cross-cultural psychotherapy

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id