Review of Handbook of Clinical Health Psychology: Volume 1, Medical Disorders and Behavioral Applications.

This article reviews the edited book by S. B. Johnson, N. W. Perry Jr., and R. H. Rozensky titled, "Handbook of Clinical Health Psychology: Volume 1, Medical Disorders and Behavioral Applications. Reviewed by David Aboussafy, this article covers the major themes of the book and delves deep into the issues of health psychology and the current state of the scientific knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training Psychology Interns in Primary Behavioral Health Care.

This article describes a training program for primary behavioral health care (PBHC) for clinical psychology interns. The authors discuss the rationale for integrating mental health into primary care and the need for additional training programs at the predoctoral internship level. A review of relevant literature suggests that effective functioning in primary care requires competence in (a) generalist psychology, (b) health psychology, (c) interdisciplinary team functioning, and (d) skills specific to primary care. The authors advocate for a relatively intensive training program to address these areas. Common intern training difficulties observed during 3 years of program implementation are discussed. Practical, lessons-learned recommendations that address these problem areas provide guidance for others seeking to develop a PBHC training program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Technological and Medical Advances: Implications for Health Psychology.

Behavioral telehealth, health informatics, organ and tissue transplantation, and genetics are among the areas that have been affected by advances in technology and medicine. These areas illustrate the opportunities and the challenges that new developments can pose to health psychologists. Each area is discussed with respect to implications for practice, research, public policy, and education and training: recommendations are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health Care, National Health Insurance, and Psychology.

The role of psychologists as health care providers and the parameters of reimbursement for health care services are timely and controversial issues. A landmark decision was reached in this controversy in the 1980 appeal of a Virginia suit by clinical psychologists in which the court ruled that Blue Shield's refusal to directly reimburse psychologists was a violation of antitrust law. Thus, the requirement that psychologists bill through physicians was not upheld. In recent years a specific aspect of this controversy involved psychologists' roles in potential national health insurance programs. A limited study (appearing in the "National Register of Health Services Providers in Psychology" 1976-1978) of clinical psychologists' attitudes toward national health insurance suggests that Congress and psychologists may have disparate views. In addition to favoring national health insurance, over 85% of psychologists surveyed responded that consumers would benefit from such a program with mental health coverage. Only 16% agreed that such a program would constitute a subsidy of the rich by the poor (Albee, 1977). Several areas of conflicting or confusing responses in this study may reflect legitimate reasons for concern by Congress regarding institution of national health insurance. Belief that providers would benefit from mental health coverage in a national health insurance program was shared by 80% of respondents. Ninety-five percent of respondents identified the inclusion or exclusion of clinical psychologists in such a national health insurance as affecting the future of the profession. Curiously, over 50% of respondents agreed that primary care physicians should be reimbursed for mental health services, although such physicians have received no formal training in psychological services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral Medicine: Past, Present, and Future.

After a brief historical overview of the development of the field of behavioral medicine, the format and background for the Special Issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology devoted to behavioral medicine is outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spirituality, Health, and the Discipline of Psychology.

Replies to comments by D. J. McCormick (see record 2004-10043-013), L. J. Richmond (see record 2004-10043-014), C. A. Rayburn (see record 2004-10043-015), and F. J. Kier and D. S. Davenport (see record 2004-10043-016) on the special section on spirituality, religion, and health in the January 2003 issue of American Psychologist (2003, Vol 58, 24-74). Each of the comments is addressed in turn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and Health: Research, Practice, and Policy.

Since World War II, American psychology's role in health care has significantly expanded. This was formally recognized in 2001 when the membership of the American Psychological Association (APA) approved a bylaw change in its mission statement to include the word health. An accumulating body of research demonstrates and recent reviews conclude that psychological factors are primary in health and in illnesses. This article proposes a vision of psychology that endorses a bio-psycho-socio-cultural model of health research and interventions. The author provides 4 definitions of health, reviews selected psychology health research and interventions, summarizes APA's recent health-related activities, and presents 5 policy recommendations for consideration and debate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the Special Section on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Implications for Rehabilitation Psychology.

This introduction to the special section of Rehabilitation Psychology on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) previews how implications for rehabilitation psychology are explored through 4 articles, each designed to build on the presentation and discussion of the prior piece: an overview of the ICF classification system; a review of contemporary applications of the ICF to clinical, government, and research uses; an update on clinical implementation efforts and related conceptual issues; and a specific application of the ICF to assistive technology service provision. The special section presents the ICF as a compelling development in the classification of functioning and health in health care service provision and, in particular, rehabilitation psychology practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospects for a Positive Psychology of Rehabilitation.

Positive psychology explores factors that make life worth living and the human strengths that enable individuals to confront challenges, appreciate others, and regard daily experiences as meaningful. This nascent area's focus can inform the direction of future research and practice in rehabilitation psychology. The authors discuss rehabilitation psychology's positive core strengths, identify positive psychology's levels of analysis and the implications for rehabilitation psychology, review subjective experiences following disability to illustrate positive rehabilitation psychology, consider some integrative positive models for research and practice, and recommend positive resources for rehabilitation psychologists. On the basis of existing strengths and emerging perspectives, the authors conclude that the prospects for a positive psychology of rehabilitation are excellent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Division of Rehabilitation Psychology: Roots, guiding principle, and a persistent concern.

What is now known as the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology was formally recognized as the 22nd Division of the American Psychological Association in September 1958. It took 10 years of persistent effort by its founders to bring that about. The first formal arrangement with APA took place in 1949 when "The National Council on Psychological Aspects of Physical Disability" became a special interest group. Now, on the occasion of the centennial celebration of the American Psychological Association, the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology honors more than 40 years of its commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of disability problems as applied to real-life issues. The author profiles the development and professional history of Division 22 of the American Psychological Association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Public Health and Psychology: An Important, Expanding Interaction.

The authors opine that the behavioral sciences and the field of psychology are absolutely vital in meeting the nation's needs regarding health and health policy. Psychologists have become increasingly involved in health psychology, as reflected by the establishment and rapid growth of Division 38 (Health Psychology). This expansion of psychologists' involvement in physical health research and intervention has led to increased contact between psychologists and nurses, public health experts, and nonpsychiatric physicians. With such contact, psychologists are being recruited into the faculties of schools of nursing, schools of public health, and schools of medicine. This article examines aspects of psychology's role in, involvement with, and contribution to one sector of this arena--public health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical Psychology in Medical Education.

Greenfield's excellent appraisal (Amer. Psychologist, 1960, 15, 624-625) of the role of clinical psychology in medical education deserves commendation. Despite its brevity, it offers a great deal. In fact, it reads so well and makes such good sense, I was hopeful, as I neared the end, that Greenfield might have an answer to the question he raises implicitly: "What is the unique role of psychology in medical education?" To be sure, this question has plagued the now respectable number of psychologists in medical schools for some time. In my view, the clinical psychologist's "identity as psychologist" is related to his having a PhD which, in turn, is related to his unique contribution to a medical school. To me, the uniqueness is his research role. He may be a teacher, clinician, administrator, jack-of-all-trades. But, to his colleagues, though not always to himself, he is unique because he (supposedly) is prepared as an investigator in human behavior. To our medical school colleagues in the basic sciences (and also to others) the PhD degree represents scholarship, scientific background, and preparation for research. The question must remain: "What is psychology's unique role in medical education?" It happens that the greatest number of psychologists in medical schools are clinical psychologists. But, to look for the answer to the question in terms of the needs and interests of the clinician would be taking a far more narrow view of the problem than it deserves. I think Greenfield would agree. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health Services and Health Care Economics: The Health Psychology Marketplace.

In an effort toward cost containment, the health care system in the United States has undergone radical changes in the last decade. These changes have influenced the delivery of clinical health psychology services. This article reviews several economic and marketing factors salient to the clinical health psychology marketplace. For example, these economic changes have placed greater emphasis on the need for cost-effectiveness and accountability in the health psychology field. Implications for education and training, collaboration with other health care specialties, new practice initiatives, and public relations are reviewed. Future challenges and opportunities for clinical health psychology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Performance Measurement, Health Care Policy, and Implications for Rehabilitation Services.

Provision of reliable, valid, and informative data to the public for evaluating the performance of health care services has been inconsistent at best and erroneous at worst. This article examines how private and governmental agencies are addressing this issue by concentrating on a well-defined set of performance indicators for several key diseases. In order to fully consider the implications of these developments for rehabilitation, the author discusses 4 topics: (a) how quality and safety concerns influence health care policy, (b) watershed events over the past half century that have contributed to a quality and safety dilemma in health care, (c) the difference between process and outcome indicators and implications for robust performance measurement, and (d) emerging coordination efforts by accreditation and regulatory agencies that will shape clinical service delivery in rehabilitation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An Introduction to International Perspectives in Rehabilitation Psychology Research.

Objective: To provide an introduction to the special section of Rehabilitation Psychology (2004, Vol 49[1]) with an international theme. Specific Aims: Identify factors that have affected the potential of rehabilitation psychologists to consult and interact with their peers internationally, encourage continued exchange of information between rehabilitation psychologists globally by highlighting some of the work in the international community, and provide a vehicle for understanding how diverse cultures can benefit from the work of our peers to improve the lives of people with disabilities or serious illnesses. Conclusion: A total of 5 data-based articles are presented that describe studies conducted by rehabilitation psychologists in a variety of cultural settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Future of Health Psychology Interventions.

Progress in health psychology interventions was reviewed to manage chronic illness, treat psychophysiological disorders, and provide complementary treatment for difficult medical symptoms. A closer synergy between research, clinical applications and public policy, and education and training was advocated to guide future work in these areas. Further, the importance of clinical input informing research directions, the need for interventions to focus on a broader range of individual difference and contextual factors, and for effectiveness studies to influence the adoption of treatments in clinical settings was emphasized. In accordance, greater effort should be devoted to disseminating information on treatment effectiveness to professional and lay groups to maximize the public health benefit of established intervention approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Denial of Illness in Medical Rehabilitation Populations: Theory, Research, and Definition.

Objectives: (a) To trace the historical roots of denial of illness in order to understand how the construct of denial developed; (b) to review the literature based on proposed theses; and (c) to propose a taxonomy of the unawareness syndromes. Method: Review of the literature and theory and presentation of a new theoretical model. Results: Evidence from the literature demonstrated that (a) denial and anosognosia are two forms of unawareness syndromes; (b) denial is a multidimensional construct; (c) the use of denial can be both adaptive and maladaptive; and (d) denial interacts with time to have a differential impact on outcomes. Conclusion: A taxonomy is proposed that includes anosognosia (complete and partial) and denial of illness (complete and partial). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Telehealth Interventions in Rehabilitation Psychology: Postcards From the Edge.

This special section grew out of a symposium at the 112th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Honolulu, Hawaii, that presented innovative telehealth interventions in rehabilitation from around the world. Several presentations represented the cutting edge of science and technology for which only preliminary data were available--hence the subtitle "Postcards From the Edge." The collected articles represent emerging approaches by pioneers in telehealth rehabilitation and are intended to inform the clinical and research efforts of others who are grappling with the particular blend of psychological and technological issues that these interventions provide. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Putting Outcome Measurement in Context: A Rehabilitation Psychology Perspective.

This article provides an overview of topics related to health care measurement as applied to medical rehabilitation. Described are conceptual models of health outcome measurement in rehabilitation and their utility for researchers and clinicians, the application of contemporary measurement approaches to rehabilitation outcome measurement, and accrediting organizations' efforts to implement performance indicators for rehabilitation. The discussion situates participation as a key interest of rehabilitation psychologists and other stakeholders. Reviewed are examples of instruments designed to operationalize participation, advances in measurement theory, and methods that allow outcome indicators to be measured more accurately and easily, including item response theory. This introduction concludes by considering how public disclosure of outcomes can help consumers make more informed choices and help accrediting organizations' efforts to promote outcome disclosure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health Psychology: The time is now.

Based on his presidential address delivered to the Division of Health Psychology in 1980, the author (1) reviews factors responsible for the current state of issues affecting health and illness; (2) assesses the future of health research, clinical application, training, and employment opportunities; and (3) discusses 3 modulator issues that may determine effectiveness and capacity to meet the future health challenges. Three major themes emerge that are affecting health issues: Costs are out of control; chronic illness has become the greatest concern; and the development of consumerism and self-management strategies are affecting health care. The author discusses commitment, ethics, and the concept of the health model as they affect health psychology. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)