Social support is one variable that has been linked to a number of positive academic and personal outcomes for graduate students. However, little is known about which sources of social support (faculty mentors, student-peers, family/friends outside of the program) best predict graduate student satisfaction with their training program. The following study examined the relationship between social support from 3 sources (peers, family/friends, and faculty) and 2 indices of satisfaction (program and general life) for graduate students in American Psychological Association accredited professional psychology programs. For this study, 228 doctoral students completed self-report measures pertaining to sources of social support, graduate program satisfaction, and general life satisfaction. The participating graduate students reported receiving significantly more academic socioemotional support from friends/family and studentpeers than from their faculty mentors. Regression analyses revealed that taken together, these 3 sources of social support explained 28% of the variance in program satisfaction and 30% of variance in overall life satisfaction. Faculty and student-peer support uniquely explained variance in ratings of program satisfaction, whereas all 3 forms of social support uniquely explained variance in overall life satisfaction. However, for both types of satisfaction, faculty support explained a greater amount of unique variance than the other 2 sources. The findings from this study have implications for ways to best support professional psychology doctoral students during their graduate education.
A large percentage of individuals within the United States who experience mental health problems fail to seek out any form of professional psychological help. In particular, although the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy has clearly been demonstrated in the empirical literature, trends indicate a decrease in the utilization of this type of treatment. Existing research suggests that help-seeking stigma and preferences play a significant role in predicting help-seeking behaviors; however, little research has tested methods for increasing preferences and decreasing stigma toward psychotherapy. In this study, a nationwide sample of participants (n ϭ 983) were randomized to watch 1 of 3 short commercial advertisements for psychotherapy or a control video. Participants were then asked to complete measures of perceived public stigma, self-stigma, and preferences for psychotherapy or medication for a psychological problem. Group comparisons indicated that although participants who watched the videos did not display less self-stigma compared to control participants, they did experience lower perceptions of public stigma (d ϭ 0.25). Further, those who watched the psychotherapy videos were more likely to indicate a preference for psychotherapy over medication compared to the control group (odds ratio ϭ 1.50). These results have important preliminary implications for improving access to psychotherapy for those with a mental health need. Public Significance StatementThis study suggests that brief commercials for psychotherapy-in particular, the American Psychological Association Psychotherapy Works videos-can have an impact on preferences for psychotherapy over medication and perceptions of public stigma for seeking treatment. It illustrates a method that may be helpful in encouraging treatment seeking in individuals who experience a mental health need.
Although research has documented a number of personal benefits for psychotherapists who practice mindfulness, the existing research examining the effects of psychotherapist mindfulness on client treatment outcomes has been mixed. The purpose of this study was to test whether a brief mindfulness training program for trainee psychotherapists could have a positive impact on psychotherapists' ratings of their own state and trait mindfulness as well as on psychotherapy session outcomes. In this randomized-controlled crossover trial, 40 graduate student psychotherapists from 2 universities were assigned to either a mindfulness or a control group. Psychotherapists in the mindfulness group received a brief 5-week manualized mindfulness training program; those in the control group received the program after a 5-week no-contact period. Psychotherapists who received the mindfulness training showed improvements in state and trait mindfulness that were significantly greater than the changes seen in the control group. Psychotherapists also reported a significantly higher level of presence in treatment sessions after attending the training compared to the control condition; however, no differences in clients' ratings of psychotherapist presence or session effectiveness were observed between the 2 conditions. Implications for psychotherapist training and mindfulness practice are discussed.
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