Effects of clinical practice on psychologists: Treating depressed clients, perceived stress, and ways of coping.

Do psychologists become depressed themselves from working with depressed clients, as J. C. Coyne's ( 1976) dysphoric mood induction would predict? An assessment of psychologists' moods before and after sessions with depressed clients over a 3-week period showed no such effect. Rather, it appeared that the use of specific coping strategies by these psychologists in dealing with the stress of working with depressed clients (mainly planful problem solving and self-controlling) prevented the therapists from becoming depressed. Clinical practice is frequently stressful, and it is recommended that psychotherapists engage in problem-focused coping strategies to lessen the effect of this stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)