School-based humanistic counselling for psychological distress in young people: A practice research network to address the attrition problem

Abstract

Aims: School-based humanistic counselling (SBHC) is a common psychological intervention for young people, particularly in the UK. However, studies have tended to suffer from high attrition rates, such that effects may have been over-estimated. This paper describes a low budget ‘star topology’ practice research network (PRN) outcome evaluation of SBHC in a sample where attrition rates were minimised. Design: A practice-based longitudinal study in a small PRN compared levels of psychological distress at first and last session from session-by-session data. Multilevel regression modelling was used to identify predictors of outcomes. Methods: Eight counsellors working across 11 schools agreed to use session-by-session self-rating on the Young Person's CORE (YP-CORE) yielding data from 256 young people aged 11 to 17. Predictors of outcomes were analysed using multilevel regression analysis. Results: Mean levels of distress on the YP-CORE reduced from 18.29 (SD = 7.32) at baseline to 9.10 (SD = 6.19) at endpoint, giving a baseline to endpoint effect size of 1.26 (95% CI = 1.06–1.46). Lower levels of psychological distress at endpoint were associated with male clients, younger age groups, greater rates of attendance at counselling, and bereavement as a presenting problem. Conclusions: This ‘star topology’ PRN focused on a single study and demonstrated that such a system can provide relatively low cost, high quality data. The data showed that SBHC is associated with large reductions in psychological distress, and that this cannot be attributed to the high attrition rates of previous datasets.

Keywords:

• school counselling
• adolescent psychotherapy
• client-centred therapy
• treatment outcomes
• practice-based research network

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the counsellors and young people who participated in this study; to Liz Locke and Louise Gibson for their help in the preparation of the school-level data; to Alex McConnachie, Chris Evans, Joanne Pybis and Dave Saxon for statistical advice and comments on an earlier draft; and to Belinda Harris, Sue Pattison, and Maggie Robson for additional information.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mick Cooper

Biographies

Mick Cooper is a Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Roehampton, London; and a practising counselling psychologist and existential psychotherapist. Mick has also led a range of research studies exploring the process and outcomes of humanistic counselling with young people, and is author of Essential Research Findings in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Sage, 2008).

Susan Mcginnis

Susan McGinnis was Coordinator of Children and Young People's Counselling Projects and Training at the Counselling Unit, University of Strathclyde from 2002–2013 and continues to work as a counsellor for young people in school settings. She has been Editor of the journal Counselling Children and Young People, is author/editor of Good Practice Guidance for Counselling in Schools (BACP), and has contributed chapters to How We Feel: An Insight Into the Emotional World of Teenagers (Jessica Kingsley, 1997) and Safeguarding Children and Schools (Jessica Kingsley, 2008). She is an active researcher, a member of COSCA's Children and Young People Standing Policy Group and was a member of the Expert Reference Group for the development of the CAMHS competences for NHS Education Scotland. Susan has a special interest in working therapeutically with children and young people with behavioural needs as well as an expertise in ethics and child law as it relates to therapy. As a trainer, she is committed to developing and communicating non-directive theory and practice as a therapeutic approach with children and young people.

Lorna Carrick

Lorna Carrick was the Counselling in Schools Principal Investigator from 2006 until 2011, Lorna has held a long-standing interest in working therapeutically with young people. She is Counselling Courses Leader at the University of Strathclyde, is a Senior BACP accredited /UKRC registered therapist with 20 years of experience working in the person-centred approach as a therapist, supervisor, trainer and developer of counselling services. Lorna's commitment to developing the person-centred approach to working within an increasing range of clients, settings and levels of psychological distress has led her to develop her work in the fields of counselling in schools, psychopathology, trauma and pre-therapy.