Sexual contact between clinical psychologists and their patients: qualitative data

✍ Scribed by Tanya Garrett

• Book ID: 101277107
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 89 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1063-3995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0879(199902)6:1<54::aid-cpp181>3.0.co;2-s

✦ Synopsis

This paper is the second in a series of two articles which describe the results of a national survey of 581 clinical psychologists relating to sexual issues in therapy. This paper describes the responses to openended questions relating to the reasons given by respondents for not experiencing sexual attraction towards patients, for avoiding sexual contact with patients, and for not taking action to prevent the continuation of sexual contact between clinical psychologists and their patients. A system of categories was developed which described the responses given to each of these questions. The reliability of the taxonomy was considered and was found, overall, to be an appropriate method of organizing the data. Where previous research has addressed similar questions, the present study achieved similar categories of data. Respondents most frequently cited professional and personal values and ethics, boundary issues and the impact upon the patient, as reasons for avoiding sexual contact with patients. However, some respondents (approximately 22%) suggested that they avoided such contact because of the consequences of detection or lack of opportunity. The majority of respondents who had not experienced sexual attraction towards patients cited as their reasons for this, the nature of the patient group. However, a substantial proportion responded in such a way as to suggest that they considered sexual attraction towards their patients to be inappropriate. The main reason given for not reporting a colleague known to have had sexual involvement with patients was that action in some form had already been taken, but some psychologists seemed unaware of their duty to report such colleagues. The training and professional implications of the results of the survey are discussed.