HIV knowledge and stigmatization of persons with AIDS: Implications for the development of HIV education for young adults.

A group of 660 undergraduates and 596 clinical and counseling psychologists completed a battery of questionnaires about AIDS. Both groups knew moderate amounts of AIDS general information and prevention information and reported moderately positive attitudes toward AIDS patients. Also, both groups felt fairly invulnerable to HIV infection; neither group had much direct experience with HIV-infected patients. For both samples, degree of homophobia was the best predictor of stigmatizing attitudes toward persons with AIDS. Implications for program development and professional practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudes of academic and applied clinical psychologists toward training issues: 1969–1984.

Assessed the attitudes of 379 applied and 207 academic clinical psychologists toward key training issues and compared the current (1984) attitudes with those that were held at earlier (1969) surveys conducted by the 1st author and D. R. Ewing (see PA, Vols 44:18793 and 51:1172). Attitudes toward 10 programs for training clinical psychologists and ratings of various clinical psychology activity areas are presented. Findings reveal that more 1984 than 1969 Ss supported training in psychotherapy and diagnosis and expected to be useful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical judgment of major depression in AIDS patients: The effects of clinician complexity and stereotyping.

This clinical judgment study found an overshadowing bias that existed in the treatment of major depression in AIDS patients. Two clinician individual differences—cognitive complexity about AIDS issues and attitudes toward AIDS victims—were investigated for possible moderating effects of the treatment overshadowing bias. Cognitive complexity about AIDS issues had a significant moderating effect, as more complex clinical and counseling psychologists were more likely to recommend antidepressant medication. Attitudes toward AIDS victims, measured by the Attitudes Towards AIDS Victims scale (Larsen, Serra, & Long, 1990), did not moderate clinician's treatment judgments. Results from a second set of exploratory analyses suggest that the diagnostic overshadowing occurred, but as a function of the presence of a terminal illness (AIDS or cancer) and not as a bias unique to AIDS issues. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists' attitudes toward persons with AIDS: Stigmatization or just a less positive outlook?

Comments on G. M. Fliszar and J. R. Clopton's (see record 1995-34739-001) concerning attitudes of psychologists in training toward persons with AIDS. Crawford expresses concern with their findings, and suggests that the interpretation of their results does not take into account the possible effects of demand characteristics, social desirability, and instrumentation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapeutic Alliance in Face-to-Face Versus Videoconferenced Psychotherapy.

Despite the great potential videoconferencing holds for providing psychotherapy services to a wide range of individuals, it is presently underused by psychologists. Do psychologists hold negative attitudes that interfere with their willingness to use the technology? What do psychologists think about the impact of the technology on the therapeutic alliance? Thirty clinical psychologists were randomly assigned to watch an identical therapy session, either face-to-face or videoconferencing format. Our prediction that psychologists in the videoconferencing condition would rate the therapeutic alliance significantly lower than would psychologists in the face-to-face condition was supported. We discuss the need to develop appropriate therapist training and improve the general dissemination of information regarding videoconferencing as an important means by which to reduce negative attitudes toward the technology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychologists' judgments of older adult patients with character pathology: Implications for practice.

The most rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population is elderly, and an increasing number of older adults are expected to seek psychological services. Concerns have previously been expressed about the impact of psychologists' attitudes toward elderly patients on their clinical practice. This exploratory study examined the diagnostic, treatment, and attitudinal responses of 186 psychologists toward a patient portrayed in a clinical vignette that varied by age (46, 66, 86 years) and pathology (depression vs. depression with borderline personality disorder). Psychologists with specialized gerontological training were more likely to make age-related diagnostic decisions and treatment recommendations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of geropsychology training.

What effect does a geropsychology practicum placement have on graduate students' knowledge of and attitudes toward older adults? Ninety psychology externs and interns were surveyed at the beginning of the training year and then 9 months later. About half of the trainees provided services in settings that served older adults, whereas the remainder did not. At the end of training, those with a geropsychology placement maintained higher interest in geropsychology, had lower negative attitudes toward older people, and had greater knowledge of mental health and aging than trainees without a geropsychology placement. There were no differences between the two placement groups in knowledge of general facts on aging and positive attitudes toward the aged. The implications of the findings for graduate program directors, training psychologists, and graduate students are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychologist in the vanguard: Current attitudes toward mental illness.

To determine the current degree of acceptance of an antimedical approach to mental illness, a survey was conducted of attitudes toward mental illness among various mental health professionals (20 psychiatrists, 23 psychiatric nurses, 16 psychologists, and 25 social workers) and mental patients (41 outpatients with a history of psychiatric hospitalization and 20 outpatients with no similar history) in a community mental health center. Responding to 6 statements reflecting attitudes toward the traditional medical model, clinical psychologists showed greater acceptance of the antimedical paradigm than did psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, psychiatric nurses, and psychiatric outpatients. Several explanations are offered as to why clinical psychologists appear to be in the vanguard of those adopting a critical, antimedical stance within the clinical arena. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinician's reactions to depressive behavior and ill health.

Psychotherapists are susceptible to prevailing negative stereotypes that exist in society at large. Inappropriate negative attitudes toward depressed and ill patients can adversely affect interactions with such clients. The authors examined the reactions of 410 psychologists to vignettes that described a client who emitted either depressed or nondepressed behavior and who varied in terms of cancer prognosis. Clinicians had negative mood reactions after reading the vignette of the depressed client; they also believed the depressed client possessed many undesirable personal attributes. Practicing psychologists are urged to reflect on their attitudes and beliefs so they do not negatively affect assessment and therapy services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Military health care providers' views on prescribing privileges for psychologists.

Selected military psychologists have been trained and privileged to independently prescribe psychotropic medications. To explore the attitudes of health care professionals toward prescribing authority, a survey of 395 military psychiatrists, psychologists, primary care physicians, and social workers was conducted. Psychologists, physicians, and social workers supported prescribing privileges and continuation of the training programs. Results suggested that support by physicians and social workers is based on improving access to comprehensive mental health care for their patients. Psychologists advocating prescribing privileges at the state level need to pursue the training and licensing authority to prescribe independently. The opposition of organized psychiatry seems assured. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating the real and academic worlds: An experienced-based research training model.

Notes that a shift toward more applied settings of employment among research psychologists has focused attention on the need to develop training models to prepare psychologists for careers in applied/evaluative research. A research practicum course sequence is suggested as a training device for developing applied skills during graduate training. The research practica in a doctoral program in applied research and evaluation are described. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Willingness to perform euthanasia. A survey of physician attitudes

BACKGROUND: In the United States, few studies have examined important variables in physician attitudes toward the practice of euthanasia, such as the patient's underlying disease, mental capacity, and age, and the physician's specialty and religion. We administered a case-based survey to analyze the impact of such specific variables on physician attitudes toward the practice. METHODS: A four-section survey solicited (1) physician responses to three hypothetical cases in which patients requested euthanasia; (2) physicians' general opinions about euthanasia and how its legalization might affect them personally and professionally; and (3) demographic information. Analysis focused on physicians' characteristics as they related to their responses to the various aspects of euthanasia elicited in the survey. Univariate and multivariate analyses, using logistic regression, were performed. RESULTS: Completed and analyzable surveys were returned by 740 physicians. We found that physicians felt more comfortable with euthanasia requests from nondecisional, nonterminal patients who had left advance directives than they did with requests from decisional patients suffering from grave illnesses or injuries, or from decisional patients who had early signs of a progressive but nonlethal neurologic disease. We also found that physicians' specialties and religions correlated with their responses to the hypothetical cases and with their generalized attitudes toward euthanasia. CONCLUSIONS: Given the disparity in responding physicians' attitudes toward euthanasia, along with the fact that values based on religious affiliation or profession may underlie many physicians' opposition to the practice, we conclude that if euthanasia is to be legalized, safeguards protective of patients and physicians must be incorporated.     

Training for independent practice: A survey of graduate programs in clinical psychology.

Administered a questionnaire to 112 directors of clinical training programs to investigate the types of training opportunities relative to independent practice that doctoral programs in clinical psychology are offering students. Findings indicate that 87% of PsyD programs and 35% of PhD programs offered some training. Results indicate that private practice as a professional activity for psychologists has become more accepted, that increased training is being offered, but that negative attitudes toward private practice still remain in a small sector of academia. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists' concept of their role in institutions housing the "criminally insane."

Institutions in 48 states housing persons legally defined as "criminally insane" were sent questionnaires; 89% were returned. The ratio of patients per psychologists varies greatly—from 5 to 2000 per psychologist. "41% of the psychologists are full-time, while 56% of the units have only part-time psychologists." Major activity of psychologists is psychodiagnosis and secondarily psychotherapy. Medical administrations "have strongly favorable attitudes toward psychologists performing psychotherapy and… as a whole psychologists working with the 'criminally insane' are fairly well satisfied in their relations with their administration." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of working with older adults in an Australian psychologist sample: Revisiting the influence of contact.

Despite increasing numbers of older people in most global populations and increasing evidence of the efficacy of psychological therapy in older clinical populations, few psychologists work with older clients as compared with other clinical groups. In the present research, the authors examine potential influences on psychologists choosing to specialize in working in the field of aging. The authors surveyed 1,498 psychologists Australia-wide to examine which factors exerted the most influence on choosing to specialize in clinical work with older clients. Clinical exposure to older clients and age-related course content within training programs, together with further education external to formal training, were significantly correlated with specializing in aged care. Holding a more negative attitude toward one's own aging was another predictor of specialist category membership, with interest in working with older clients also being a significant factor based on direct logistic regression analysis. In contrast to previous work, amount or quality of contact with older persons did not appear to relate to working with older adults. These findings highlight the importance of quality training experiences in influencing attitudes toward working with older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A federal agency perspective on AIDS.

AIDS prevention depends on changing behaviors to lessen the risk of infection. Given that about 25% of persons with AIDS in the United States are intravenous drug abusers, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has initiated a wide variety of research and demonstration outreach projects and training and public information programs focused on reducing the spread of AIDS among intravenous drug abusers, their sexual partners, and their children. Helping addicts discontinue their drug use is a high priority. Psychologists can contribute research, behavior change strategies, improved counseling, and outreach and can help to change negative public attitudes toward AIDS patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study on disclosure by HIV positives by use of simulation using case vignettes

AIDS patients/HIV positives have been increasing in Japan, but a large proportion of university students, who have high risk sexual behavior, are not aware of the danger of HIV infection. Because of little disclosure by AIDS patients/HIV positives in Japan, the students have a poor chance of knowing of their risk in sexual behavior situations. Discrimination or prejudice toward AIDS patients/HIV positives has suppressed disclosure. However, as the real risk changes of disclosure is unknown, a simulation study, using case vignettes, was carried out to measure risks. A total of 1,128 university students (487 male and 641 female) were asked to read one of six vignettes describing HIV positives, that consisted of three infection routes (one by blood preparation and two by sexual intercourse) with disclosure or without disclosure. After reading a vignette, they answered questions about the images of HIV positives and their attitudes to him or her. As a result of reading these vignettes, friendly images were enhanced and the disagreeable images were decreased, but students' attitudes were unchanged. Significant differences were recognized in attitudes concerning responsibility for the infection and sympathy toward HIV positives, depending on the infection routes (blood preparation or sexual intercourse). Female students had a tendency to be more favorable to HIV positives than the male students. This simulation study showed the difficulty of changing students' attitudes regardless of the image of HIV positives, and demonstrated the need for effective action toward reducing discrimination or prejudice.     

The psychologist's role in the emergency room: A comparative study.

Compared evaluations by psychologists, psychiatrists, a psychiatric team, and psychiatric residents of 258 16–76 yr old patients in an inner-city hospital emergency room. Both patient presentation and medical and psychiatric evaluations did not vary over time. Other than the finding that psychologists initiated evaluations sooner and hospitalized fewer patients than did psychiatrists, there were no significant temporal or dispositional differences in decisions made between psychologists and the other evaluators. Results are consistent with previous findings that more extensive evaluations lead to fewer recommended hospitalizations. Results also suggest disposition decisions are affected by training, and psychologists tend to place more responsibility on the patient and/or the patient's family than do psychiatrists. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)