The experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape: A qualitative study
Background: Qualitative data on the experiences of treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a psychiatric setting in a low-resource context is sparse. Aim: The authors aimed to explore the lived experiences of clinical psychologists who treat patients who are either trauma survivors or per...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2022-08-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1868 |
| _version_ | 1811259626281238528 |
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| author | Kuriesha Munishvaran Duane D. Booysen |
| author_facet | Kuriesha Munishvaran Duane D. Booysen |
| author_sort | Kuriesha Munishvaran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Qualitative data on the experiences of treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a psychiatric setting in a low-resource context is sparse.
Aim: The authors aimed to explore the lived experiences of clinical psychologists who treat patients who are either trauma survivors or perpetrators in a psychiatric hospital.
Setting: A public psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Method: A total of six individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with three clinical psychologists. Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA).
Results: The analysis for each participant identified several significant themes, namely (1) support as a male person, (2) being appreciative, (3) difficult trauma narratives, (4) a mother and a psychologist and (5) fear and hopelessness.
Conclusion: Treating traumatic stress amongst clinical psychologists working in a public psychiatric hospital can lead to experiences of vicarious trauma and traumatic stress. In addition, the participants experienced an added danger in treating high-risk state patients, exposing psychologists to traumatic stress. Furthermore, psychologists recognised the influence of gender and race and its impact on their roles in their personal and professional lives as practitioners treating traumatic stress. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:34:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa2558d1068c489880b17c4da24160c4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1608-9685 2078-6786 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:34:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa2558d1068c489880b17c4da24160c42022-12-22T03:20:59ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Psychiatry1608-96852078-67862022-08-01280e1e710.4102/sajpsychiatry.v28i0.1868620The experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape: A qualitative studyKuriesha Munishvaran0Duane D. Booysen1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Rhodes University, GrahamstownDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Rhodes University, GrahamstownBackground: Qualitative data on the experiences of treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a psychiatric setting in a low-resource context is sparse. Aim: The authors aimed to explore the lived experiences of clinical psychologists who treat patients who are either trauma survivors or perpetrators in a psychiatric hospital. Setting: A public psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Method: A total of six individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with three clinical psychologists. Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: The analysis for each participant identified several significant themes, namely (1) support as a male person, (2) being appreciative, (3) difficult trauma narratives, (4) a mother and a psychologist and (5) fear and hopelessness. Conclusion: Treating traumatic stress amongst clinical psychologists working in a public psychiatric hospital can lead to experiences of vicarious trauma and traumatic stress. In addition, the participants experienced an added danger in treating high-risk state patients, exposing psychologists to traumatic stress. Furthermore, psychologists recognised the influence of gender and race and its impact on their roles in their personal and professional lives as practitioners treating traumatic stress.https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1868clinical psychologistspsychiatric hospitalpatientstraumatic stressvicarious traumasecondary traumatrauma narrativesvicarious post-traumatic growthsouth africa |
| spellingShingle | Kuriesha Munishvaran Duane D. Booysen The experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape: A qualitative study South African Journal of Psychiatry clinical psychologists psychiatric hospital patients traumatic stress vicarious trauma secondary trauma trauma narratives vicarious post-traumatic growth south africa |
| title | The experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape: A qualitative study |
| title_full | The experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape: A qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | The experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape: A qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape: A qualitative study |
| title_short | The experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the Eastern Cape: A qualitative study |
| title_sort | experiences of clinical psychologists in treating traumatic stress at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in the eastern cape a qualitative study |
| topic | clinical psychologists psychiatric hospital patients traumatic stress vicarious trauma secondary trauma trauma narratives vicarious post-traumatic growth south africa |
| url | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1868 |
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