TY - JOUR

T1 - Experiences of carrying out talking therapy in general practice: a qualitative interview study

AU - Davidsen, Annette Sofie

N1 - Keywords: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Clinical Competence; Communication; Denmark; Empathy; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Kinesics; Male; Middle Aged; Narration; Patient Education as Topic; Physician's Practice Patterns; Physician's Role; Physician-Patient Relations; Physicians, Family; Primary Health Care; Psychotherapy; Qualitative Research; Questionnaires; Time Factors; Trust

PY - 2008/8

Y1 - 2008/8

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To explore GPs' experience of carrying out 'talking therapy'. METHODS: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 11 Danish GPs sampled purposively. The material was analysed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. RESULTS: The participants expressed difficulty in explaining how they carried out talking therapy. However, from their description of individual therapies their perception of important aspects of methodology could be obtained: (1) their own open receptiveness, e.g. attentive listening, not limited by time; (2) relational factors including trust and empathy developed over time, or more active therapeutic use of the relationship; (3) knowledge of the patient's life story, told or written, used to form a model of the patient's problems, thoughts and feelings. The sessions were not offered if the GPs lacked time. CONCLUSION: Participants were mostly self-taught and did not use specific methods systematically despite having learnt them. GPs knew the patients beforehand; talking therapy developed from other treatment, and methodology had to fit into this. Specific methods are possibly not relevant in general practice. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Formulation of a theory of talking therapy based on the views and experience of GPs and including non-specific factors could professionalize the field.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore GPs' experience of carrying out 'talking therapy'. METHODS: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 11 Danish GPs sampled purposively. The material was analysed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. RESULTS: The participants expressed difficulty in explaining how they carried out talking therapy. However, from their description of individual therapies their perception of important aspects of methodology could be obtained: (1) their own open receptiveness, e.g. attentive listening, not limited by time; (2) relational factors including trust and empathy developed over time, or more active therapeutic use of the relationship; (3) knowledge of the patient's life story, told or written, used to form a model of the patient's problems, thoughts and feelings. The sessions were not offered if the GPs lacked time. CONCLUSION: Participants were mostly self-taught and did not use specific methods systematically despite having learnt them. GPs knew the patients beforehand; talking therapy developed from other treatment, and methodology had to fit into this. Specific methods are possibly not relevant in general practice. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Formulation of a theory of talking therapy based on the views and experience of GPs and including non-specific factors could professionalize the field.

U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2008.03.020

DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2008.03.020

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18472244

VL - 72

SP - 268

EP - 275

JO - Patient Education and Counseling

JF - Patient Education and Counseling

SN - 0738-3991

IS - 2

ER -