The psychological adaptation of psychologists in clinical training: The role of cognition, coping and social support

The current study sought to profile the psychological adaptation of psychol ogists in clinical training and examine the extent to which appraisal, copi ng and social support were related to psychological adaptation. A cross-sec tional survey questionnaire design was used. A sample of 183 psychologists in clinical training (60.2% response rate) from 15 British clinical psychol ogy training courses participated. They completed measures of cognition (ap praisals of threat and control over course-related stressors), coping and s ocial support. a multidimensional assessment of psychological adaptation in cluded measures of perceived stress, self-esteem, anxiety and depression. T rainee clinical psychologists reported high levels of stress, but did not e xperience extensive problems of psychological adaptation in terms of anxiet y, depression, self-esteem problems, marital problems, family problems, ext ernal stressors, interpersonal conflict, work adjustment or substance abuse . However, a significant subgroup reported self-esteem problems, work adjus tment problems, depression and anxiety. Gender, age, current clinical place ment and training course were related to psychological adaptation. Appraisa l processes, coping and social support predicted a significant amount of va riation in psychological adaptation. Appraisals of threat, avoidance coping , emotional support from clinical supervisors, emotional support from cours es and emotional support from a confidante at home all predicted the varian ce in psychological adaptation. The findings were discussed in terms of a c ognitive theory of stress and adaptation and implications for clinical psyc hology training were considered. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.