Perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in Sweden
Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on societies and health care services worldwide, including the clinical training of psychology interns. Some of the pandemic-related restrictions were in breach of the internship requirements, increasing the risk of failed int...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04236-x |
| _version_ | 1797841018868989952 |
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| author | Hillevi Bergvall Cornelia Larsson Elinor Eskilsson Strålin Benjamin Bohman Sven Alfonsson |
| author_facet | Hillevi Bergvall Cornelia Larsson Elinor Eskilsson Strålin Benjamin Bohman Sven Alfonsson |
| author_sort | Hillevi Bergvall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on societies and health care services worldwide, including the clinical training of psychology interns. Some of the pandemic-related restrictions were in breach of the internship requirements, increasing the risk of failed internships and a shortage of new health care professionals. This situation needed to be assessed. Methods Web-based surveys were administered to clinical psychology interns in Sweden 2020 (n = 267) and 2021 (n = 340), as well as to supervisors in 2020 (n = 240). The supervisors also provided information about their interns (n = 297). Results Risk factors for a prolonged internship, such as pandemic-related absence from work (12.4% in 2020 and 7.9% in 2021), unqualified work (0% in 2020, 3% in 2021), and change in internship content were low. However, remote interactions using digital services increased. Face-to-face patient contacts decreased significantly from 2020 to 2021 (Χ 2 = 5.17, p = .023), while remote work and remote supervision increased significantly (Χ 2 = 53.86, p < .001 and Χ 2 = 8.88, p = .003, respectively). Still, the content in patient contacts and supervision was maintained. Most interns reported no difficulties with remote supervision or supervision in personal protective equipment. However, of the interns who reported difficulties, role-play and skills training in remote supervision were perceived as significantly harder (Χ 2 = 28.67, p < .001) than in supervision using personal protective equipment. Conclusions The present study indicates that clinical training of psychology interns in Sweden could proceed despite a societal crisis. Results suggest that the psychology internship was flexible in the sense that it could be realized in combined face-to-face and remote formats without losing much of its value. However, the results also suggest that some skills may be harder to train in remote supervision. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:23:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9bc496c4cbfb4618a6afdedf2a72628d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:23:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-9bc496c4cbfb4618a6afdedf2a72628d2023-04-23T11:20:39ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202023-04-0123111010.1186/s12909-023-04236-xPerceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in SwedenHillevi Bergvall0Cornelia Larsson1Elinor Eskilsson Strålin2Benjamin Bohman3Sven Alfonsson4Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region StockholmCentre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region StockholmCentre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region StockholmCentre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region StockholmCentre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region StockholmAbstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on societies and health care services worldwide, including the clinical training of psychology interns. Some of the pandemic-related restrictions were in breach of the internship requirements, increasing the risk of failed internships and a shortage of new health care professionals. This situation needed to be assessed. Methods Web-based surveys were administered to clinical psychology interns in Sweden 2020 (n = 267) and 2021 (n = 340), as well as to supervisors in 2020 (n = 240). The supervisors also provided information about their interns (n = 297). Results Risk factors for a prolonged internship, such as pandemic-related absence from work (12.4% in 2020 and 7.9% in 2021), unqualified work (0% in 2020, 3% in 2021), and change in internship content were low. However, remote interactions using digital services increased. Face-to-face patient contacts decreased significantly from 2020 to 2021 (Χ 2 = 5.17, p = .023), while remote work and remote supervision increased significantly (Χ 2 = 53.86, p < .001 and Χ 2 = 8.88, p = .003, respectively). Still, the content in patient contacts and supervision was maintained. Most interns reported no difficulties with remote supervision or supervision in personal protective equipment. However, of the interns who reported difficulties, role-play and skills training in remote supervision were perceived as significantly harder (Χ 2 = 28.67, p < .001) than in supervision using personal protective equipment. Conclusions The present study indicates that clinical training of psychology interns in Sweden could proceed despite a societal crisis. Results suggest that the psychology internship was flexible in the sense that it could be realized in combined face-to-face and remote formats without losing much of its value. However, the results also suggest that some skills may be harder to train in remote supervision.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04236-xPsychologistInternshipTraineeSupervisionPandemicCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Hillevi Bergvall Cornelia Larsson Elinor Eskilsson Strålin Benjamin Bohman Sven Alfonsson Perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in Sweden BMC Medical Education Psychologist Internship Trainee Supervision Pandemic COVID-19 |
| title | Perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in Sweden |
| title_full | Perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in Sweden |
| title_fullStr | Perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in Sweden |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in Sweden |
| title_short | Perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in Sweden |
| title_sort | perceived effects of the covid 19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in sweden |
| topic | Psychologist Internship Trainee Supervision Pandemic COVID-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04236-x |
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