| Summary: | Aim/Purpose: The aim of this PhD research was to improve the acquisition of the Taiwanese mental health professionals' person-centred therapeutic relationship competence by integrating the theory-designed online technology mPath in learning.
Design/Methodology: A mixed methods design consisted of three studies. Firstly, the sample for exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was N=658 (621=male, 495=female) of Mandarin-Chinese native speakers participating in evaluating the friendship for the validation of the Mandarin-Chinese version of Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (B-L RI:MC). Secondly, a sample of 59 Taiwanese mental health professionals (mean age=24.22) as the experimental (N=26) and control group (N=33) was recruited in the Therapeutic Relationship Enabling Programme (TREP) for the quasi-experiment study on the effectiveness of the therapeutic relationship competence learning. Lastly, the experimental group (N=26) was interviewed to investigate the learning process with the use of new technology.
Results/Findings: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of B-L RI:MC resulted promising (Cronbach's alpha=.96, KMO=.97, NFI=.95, CFI=.97, IFI=.97, RMSEA =.092). One-way ANOVA showed that scores on B-L RI:MC at the end of and two weeks after the skills training modules statistically significantly differed between groups (F (2, 56) = 10, p=.000). Post hoc tests showed the mean differences between Test 1 (p=.002), and Test 2 (p=.002). Test 3 (p=.000) was resulting in statistically significance without the intervention. Qualitative findings reported that the cross-cutting theme returning power to clients and the person-centred learning approach with the theory-based learning technology mPath perceived as the inter-dependent factor for the mental health professionals’ continuous growth of the person-centred therapeutic relationship competence after the intervention.
Research Limitations: The research obtained some limitations because of the time-and-space restriction. There were some improvements that could be made to enlarge and deepen the investigation as the recommendations for the future research.
Conclusions: The research suggested Carl Rogers’ person-centred theory with the practical implementations could be transferred into the Mandarin-Chinese community and the field of medical education in psychiatry. Through applying the B-L RI:MC in evaluating the therapeutic relationship competence, an innovating short person-centred experiential training course for the mental health professionals acquiring the competence of therapeutic relationship could be established effectively. Integrating the use of the learning technology mPath in the humanistic courses would be the one of the essential factors for enhancing and developing the learning effect organically.
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