Therapists' perspectives on working with clients taking psychiatric drugs: Findings from a mixed-methods survey

Abstract

Objectives: Around 26% of the British adult population are prescribed psychiatric drugs each year. Most therapists (counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists) provide therapy to some clients taking prescribed psychiatric drugs. This study aimed to better understand the experience, knowledge, training and concerns of therapists working therapeutically with clients prescribed psychiatric drugs. Design: This was a survey study, generating both quantitative and qualitative data. Methods: The online survey was completed by 1,230 therapists (members of UKCP, BACP and the BPS). Brief descriptive statistics for the quantitative data are reported. The qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results: Therapists would welcome professional guidance as to how to work better with clients taking prescribed psychiatric drugs, with some feeling their training had left them unprepared for this. Qualitative themes were broad-ranging and encompassed the following: client factors, therapist factors, prescriber actions and inactions, medicating therapy, the ideological and professional context, areas of therapist need, and actions and justifications that mitigate concerns. Conclusions: This article illustrates the complex nature of therapeutic work with clients taking, or withdrawing from, prescribed psychiatric drugs. Therapists want to work within their remit to appropriately help clients but need better information and improved relationships with prescribing clinicians.