Stress, resilience and coping in psychological wellbeing practitioner trainees: a mixed-methods study

Abstract

In this study, a convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used to explore stress, resilience and coping in psychological wellbeing practitioner (PWP) trainees (n = 90) at the beginning of their training. Psychometric tests were used to measure levels of self-reported stress, resilience and dispositional coping styles. Open-text survey data regarding the perceived sources of stress at the beginning of training were also qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis (TA). Results indicated that in the early weeks of their training, trainees reported lower levels of resilience and higher levels of stress than those found in the general population. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between stress and resilience, and between stress and the coping styles ‘Planning’, and ‘Active Coping’. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between stress and the coping styles of ‘Denial’ and ‘Focus on and Venting of Emotions’. The qualitative findings provided a context within which to understand these quantitative results. The three themes ‘I can find the unknown quite unsettling’, ‘I question my competences’ and ‘Learning, consolidating and putting it all into practice’ were generated through the qualitative analysis. These themes were connected by an over-arching theme which suggests that the perceived responsibility of the role is an important source of stress for PWP trainees. Implications for future research and the training of PWPs are discussed. Key learning aims (1) To establish the levels and perceived sources of stress in trainee PWPs at the beginning of their training. (2) To identify relationships between stress and resilience, and between stress and styles of coping at the beginning of training. (3) To use a mixed-methods approach to provide a comprehensive account of stress at the outset of training.

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