Effectiveness of Empathy Training Among Psychology Students Trainees: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Empathy
- Sponsor
- Peking University
- Enrollment
- 50
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change from counseling duration
- Status
- Not Yet Recruiting
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
This study aims to examine the effectiveness of empathy training for psychology student trainees who plan to become mental health practitioners. The training consists of five sessions of psychoeducation, three-role group exercises, and Q&A. Empathy assessment will be based on self-reported, listener-reported, and observer-reported measurements.
Investigators
Yinyin Zang, PhD
Principal Investigator
Peking University
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Adult male and female (aged between 18 and 65 years old)
- •Major or double major in psychology
- •Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students
- •Taking psychological counselor as one of the major occupational chooses
Exclusion Criteria
- •Hearing, speech, reading, or writing impairments
- •A diagnosis of mental disorders
- •Simultaneously participating in other emotional skills training
- •Suicidal ideation or self-injurious behavior
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change from counseling duration
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
A 10-minute counseling simulation will be conducted for each participant. The simulation will last 10 minutes or before 10 minutes if the participant gives up midway. The duration time will be recorded to measure the counseling tolerance of the participants. Longer duration indicates better counseling tolerance.
Change from Baseline of 12-Item Version of the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
A 12-item empathy self-report, senior-psychological-counselor-report, and simulate-client-report scale measures regard (R), empathic understanding (E), congruence (C), and unconditionality of regard (U) of the therapist. The scoring of each item is from -3 to +3 (12 items, total score varies from -36 to 36). A higher score represents better facilitative conditions the therapist can shape.
Change from consultation willingness question inquiry
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
A single item inquiry "How willing are you to come back for consultation next time?" will be asked to the simulation "client" to measure the ability to build the counselor-client relationship. The item scores from 0 to 4. A higher score represents a higher ability to build the counselor-client relationship.
Change from morphed emotion perception task
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
An experimental task measures the ability of emotion perception. Participants need to identify the emotion of facial pictures out of six basic emotions (i.e., anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, and happiness). The higher accuracy indicates better emotion perception ability.
Change from Baseline of the Peking Alexithymia Scale
Time Frame: 1 month
A 23-item Peking alexithymia scale measures the ability and willingness to feel, recognize, and share emotions on a 5-point Likert scale (scores from 1 to 5, and total scores vary from 23 to 115). A higher score represents more severe alexithymia.
Change from Baseline of the Measure of Empathy Scale
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 3 month
An 8-item empathy self-report scale measures cognitive empathy and emotional empathy on a 5-point Likert scale (score from 1 to 5, and total score vary from 8 to 40). A higher score represents higher empathy ability.
Change from Baseline of the Emotion Perception Scale
Time Frame: 1 month
A 13-item emotion perception scale measures the extent of emotions within a month, including anger, happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust, guilt, shame, pressure, depression, inner anger, numbness, and aggrievedness. Each item scores from 0 to 5, with total score varying from 0 to 65. A higher score represents a higher extent of feeling the emotions.
Secondary Outcomes
- Change from Baseline of the Patient Health Questionnaire(2 weeks)
- Change from Baseline of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale(2 weeks)
- Change from Baseline of the Peking Irritability Scale(1 month)
- Change from Baseline of the Cognitive-Emotion Regulation Questionnaire(Through study completion, an average of 3 month)
- Change from Baseline of the the Subjective Happiness Scale(Through study completion, an average of 3 month)
- Change from Baseline of the the Fatigue Assessment Scale(Through study completion, an average of 3 month)
- Change from Baseline of the the Patient Health Questionnaire(4 weeks)
- Change from Baseline of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale(Through study completion, an average of 3 month)
- Change from Baseline of the the Satisfaction with Life Scale(Through study completion, an average of 3 month)
- Change from Baseline of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(1 month)