Training gap limits psychosis therapy

Reporter: Beyonce Kariuki.

Australians living with trauma and psychosis could be missing out on effective talk therapy because too few psychologists are trained to provide it, a Swinburne researcher says.

Psychologist Dr Leila Jameel worked on an international trial that found trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy improved symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and some symptoms of psychosis when added to usual care.

“We can never change the things that have happened to people,” she said, “but we can help them to process them.”

Talk therapy allows people to work through traumatic experiences, thoughts and emotions with a trained therapist in a supportive environment.

“There are very few psychologists who would actually feel confident and prepared to provide psychological therapy to people with psychosis, because it’s not a core part of training here.”

Dr Jameel believes the treatment could also help other Australians. However, she said limited access to psychological care and a lack of specialist training could prevent people from receiving it.

Even when patients can afford therapy, finding an appropriately trained psychologist can be difficult. The Psychology Board of Australia is seeking to remove the requirement of an additional year in post-graduate training.

Dr Jameel said psychosis received little attention in Australian psychology courses, leaving some graduates unsure about working with people experiencing it. 

According to Dr Rachel Brand of USC and an alumni of Swinburne University, an estimated 10% of those with psychosis have access to cognitive behavioural therapy in Australia.

She wants universities to include more psychosis training and for psychologists to receive professional development and clinical supervision after graduating.

The therapy tested in the trial was intended to support medication and existing care, not replace them. Researchers compared people receiving the therapy alongside their usual treatment with those receiving usual treatment alone.

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