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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03038347

Training of Cross-cultural Competencies in Psychotherapists

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a web-based training program with text-based information as well as practical exercises can improve cross-cultural competencies in therapists.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Volunteers

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Philipps University Marburg

Marburg, Hesse, 35037, Germany

About this study

As the number of patients from diverse cultures increases in psychotherapeutic care, cross-cultural competencies of therapists become increasingly important. In particular, mental health care of patients with immigration background needs to be improved as studies show that these patients drop out of treatment more often and benefit less from therapy. In addition, patients with immigration background and refugees show higher prevalences in mental illnesses. Nevertheless, evaluated training programs to improve cross-cultural competencies in psychotherapists are lacking. In particular, web-based training programs, which allow therapists to work time-flexible and at their own pace on a training, are, to date, missing completely.

For the current study, a web-based training program to improve therapists' cross-cultural competencies was developed. It is based on existing conceptions of cross-cultural competencies. The developed program consists of six modules with the following contents: definitions and conceptions of culture, the role of cross-cultural competencies in psychotherapy, the influence of prejudices and discrimination as well as the role of migration and acculturation, and culturally sensitive diagnostics. The modules contain PDF-files with text-based information, video files, case studies with associated questions as well as practical exercises. The main focus of the training is the participants' self-reflection concerning their conceptions of (their own) culture and their beliefs about culturally diverse patients. The training group will be compared to two other groups, i.e. an education only and a waitlist control group. Whereas the waitlist control group will not receive any training materials, the education only group will receive a slimmed down version of the training consisting only of text-based information files.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • current psychotherapeutic work
  • Internet access
  • sufficient German language skills
  • ongoing or completed training in Psychotherapy

Exclusion criteria

  • too much previous knowledge about cross-cultural competencies (> 10h training)

Treatment and study plan

Training

Behavioral

Six modules containing PDF-files with text-based information, video files, case studies with associated questions and practical exercises. Participants can download the modules and associated materials from an online platform they need to register for. They receive access to modules and associated exercises once a week. After six weeks the training is completed.

Education only

Behavioral

Six modules containing only PDF-files with text-based information. Participants can download the modules and associated materials from an online platform they need to register for. They receive access to modules once a week. After six weeks the education is completed.

Primary outcomes

  1. Transcultural Competencies of Psychotherapists Questionnaire (TKKP; Reichardt et. al., in prep.)

    Time frame: pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training); follow up (6 month after training completion)

    Change in cross-cultural psychotherapeutic competencies

  2. Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI; Sodowsky, 1994)

    Time frame: pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training); follow-up (6 month after training completion)

    Change in cross-cultural psychotherapeutic competencies

Secondary outcomes

  1. Cultural sensitivity in actual psychotherapeutic work I

    Time frame: pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), follow-up (6 month after training completion)

    Percentage of culturally diverse patients currently in treatment in own actual psychotherapeutic work

  2. Cultural sensitivity in actual psychotherapeutic work II

    Time frame: pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), follow-up (6 month after training completion)

    Willingness to treat culturally diverse patients in own actual psychotherapeutic work (rating scale)

  3. Cultural sensitivity in actual psychotherapeutic work III

    Time frame: pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), follow-up (6 month after training completion)

    Satisfaction with cross-cultural therapies provided in actual psychotherapeutic work (rating scale)

  4. Cultural sensitivity in actual psychotherapeutic work IV

    Time frame: pre-training, post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), follow-up (6 month after training completion)

    Perceived competence in the currently provided cross-cultural therapies (rating scale)

  5. Knowledge regarding the provision of cross-cultural psychotherapy

    Time frame: post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training)

    Test of specific knowledge gained during the training (knowledge test in multiple choice answer format)

  6. Training satisfaction scale

    Time frame: post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training); follow-up (6 month after training completion)

    Satisfaction with the training (rating scale; items assessing satisfaction with contents and structure of the developed training)

  7. Learning success scale

    Time frame: post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training); follow-up (6 month after training completion)

    Rating of competencies achieved through the training for the treatment of culturally diverse patients (rating scale, rating of the degree to which certain competencies have been achieved)

  8. Cultural sensitivity in psychotherapeutic work (Behavioural change measure)

    Time frame: post-training (6 weeks after the start of the training), 2 months after training completion; follow-up (6 month after training completion)

    Rating of different case examples with focus on expected difficulty and effectiveness of psychotherapy (given different cases with different disorders, severity levels, and cultural backgrounds)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Philipps University Marburg

Other

Collaborators

  • Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluation of an Internet-based Training Program to Improve Cross-cultural Competencies in Psychotherapists

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2022
First posted
Jan 31, 2017
Registry last updated
Nov 8, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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