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Stress and burnout in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) trainees: a systematic review

Part of: Low Intensity CBT

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2021

Joel Owen Open the ORCID record for Joel Owen [Opens in a new window] ,
Louise Crouch-Read ,
Matthew Smith  and
Paul Fisher
Joel Owen*
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia, Norwich Medical School, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies, Norwich, UK
Louise Crouch-Read
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia, Norwich Medical School, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies, Norwich, UK
Matthew Smith
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
Paul Fisher
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia, Norwich Medical School, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies, Norwich, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: joel.owen@uea.ac.uk
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Abstract

For more than a decade, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) has been training a new workforce of psychological therapists. Despite evidence of stress and burnout both in trainee mental health professionals, and qualified IAPT clinicians, little is known about these topics in IAPT trainees. Consequently, this systematic review sought to establish the current state of the literature regarding stress and burnout in IAPT trainees. Electronic databases were searched to identify all published and available unpublished work relating to the topic. On the basis of pre-established eligibility criteria, eight studies (including six unpublished doctoral theses) were identified and assessed for quality. This review identifies that research into the experience of IAPT trainees is under-developed. Existing evidence tentatively suggests that IAPT trainees may experience levels of stress and burnout that are higher than their qualified peers and among the higher end of healthcare professionals more generally. The experience of fulfilling dual roles as mental health professionals and university students concurrently appears to be a significant source of stress for IAPT trainees. More research regarding the levels and sources of stress and burnout in IAPT trainees is urgently needed to confirm and extend these findings. Recommendations for future research in the area are given.

Key learning aims

  1. (1) To establish the current state of the literature regarding stress and burnout in IAPT trainees.

  2. (2) To raise practitioner, service and education-provider awareness regarding the levels and perceived sources of stress and burnout in IAPT trainees.

  3. (3) To make recommendations regarding future research on the topic.

Keywords

burnoutIAPTmental healthstresssystematic review
Type
Review Paper
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 14 , 2021 , e20
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

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References

Further reading

Delgadillo, J., Saxon, D., & Barkham, M. (2018). Associations between therapists’ occupational burnout and their patients’ depression and anxiety outcomes. Depression and Anxiety, 35, 844–850.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (2020). The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Manual. NHS England. https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/iapt-manual-v4.pdf Google Scholar

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