Nurse therapists in behavioural psychotherapy

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Psychotherapy
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Adult neurotic disorders present a significant treatment challenge.
• Existing mental health professionals like psychologists and psychiatrists are often in short supply.
• Nurses possess a large, suitable pool for specialized training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of registered mental nurses (R.M.N.s) trained as behavioral psychotherapists.
• To evaluate the integration and acceptance of nurse therapists within multidisciplinary mental health teams.
• To explore the potential of nurse therapists in addressing the treatment gap for neurotic disorders.

Main Methods:

• A two-year training program for five R.M.N.s in behavioral psychotherapy.
• Secondment of trained nurse therapists to hospital and general practice settings for a third year.
• Comparison of treatment outcomes with those of psychologists and psychiatrists.
• Assessment of patient satisfaction and team acceptance.

Main Results:

• Nurse therapists achieved comparable outcomes to psychologists and psychiatrists in treating adult neurotic disorders.
• Patient satisfaction was high, with individuals appreciating treatment by nurses.
• Nurse therapists were successfully integrated into treatment teams, gaining acceptance from peers.
• Training nurse therapists proved more time and cost-effective than training psychologists and psychiatrists.

Conclusions:

• Registered mental nurses can be effectively trained as behavioral psychotherapists, comparable to other mental health professionals.
• Nurse therapists offer a viable, cost-effective solution to increase access to mental healthcare for neurotic disorders.
• Formal recognition of an 18-month adult behavioral psychotherapy course suggests a sustainable role for nurse therapists in future mental health services.