A Systematic Review of Factors Contributing to Clinical Psychologists’ Self-Care and Wellbeing within the UK Professional Psychology: Research and Practice

This systematic review aimed to explore factors that contribute to self-care and wellbeing amongst trainee and qualified clinical psychologists, working within the United Kingdom (UK). Systematic searches of five electronic databases (Academic Search Ultimate, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL and Scopus) were carried out adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were screened at title and abstract and full-text review stages. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used by the first author to assess the methodological quality of the studies included. 10 peer-reviewed studies met eligibility criteria.
Findings indicated that there are a number of ways that clinical psychologists try to maintain their self-care and wellbeing. These included developing and maintaining self-awareness, connectedness with others and taking proactive steps to improve self-care. Further research is needed to develop further understanding of clinical psychologists’ self-care and ways in which they can be supported to protect their wellbeing.