The Use of Personal Therapy by Clinical Psychologists Working in the NHS in the United Kingdon.

This study describes a survey of 496 NHS clinical psychologists (65% return rate obtained) looking at professional activities, job-related stress, views on personal therapy, and details of personal therapy experiences. Forty-one percent reported having had experience of personal therapy, a figure lower than in any of the published American samples. Seventy-eight percent said they were moderately or very stressed by the job. Those with experience of personal therapy had higher scores on the GHQ-28 and higher self-reported scores for stress of the job and stress of doing psychotherapy. More psychologists with a psychodynamic orientation had experience of personal therapy than would have been expected by chance. Psychodynamic therapists chose psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapists, but cognitive-behavioural therapists chose therapists of orientations other than their own. Reasons for undertaking and ending therapy, the rated outcome of therapy, and means of findin8 a therapist are reported. Outcome of therapy was generally positive, with 17% of the sample reporting unsatisfactory results. The results are discussed in the light of published studies and in the context of work-related stress among clinical psychologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]