Doctoral and master's-level clinical psychologists and MSWs in public mental health settings: A nationwide follow-up.

278 directors of public mental health facilities, who participated in a 1979 nationwide survey comparing the employment opportunities, salaries, duties, and skills of doctoral and subdoctoral clinical psychologists (SDCPs) and individuals with masters degrees in social work (MSWs), were asked to complete a similar survey in 1983. Results indicate that, in the interim, salaries for all groups increased significantly and members of each group were staying on the job longer. Ratings of competency, contributions to the agency, and adequacy of academic background did not change significantly, and SDCPs continued to be rated lower than MSWs and doctoral-level clinicians on all dimensions. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MA versus PhD for psychologists.

Comments on the article by F. O. Volle entitled MA Psychologists Speak (see record 2005-08100-005). The current author expresses sympathy for Volle's point of view regarding the MA degree as fully qualifying for the title and privilege of psychologist. However, at a time when every profession is seeking to assure the public of the adequate training of its members, it would not behoove psychology to lower its standards. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Utilization of psychologists in positions of responsibility in public mental health programs: A national survey.

Describes a 1969 survey of mental health programs in all 50 states. To document current status and provide precedence data, the survey sought information concerning positions including these at a divisional level within state programs and as program director of community mental health centers. 1/2 the states had psychologists as divisional chiefs, while in 75% of the states, the principle of competence in the appointment of local community mental health program directors was formally recognized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role functions of pediatric and health psychologists in health care settings.

686 pediatric and health psychologists completed questionnaires requesting background information concerning years of experience, current work settings, graduate training, and professional identification. Ss were also asked to describe services and functions they performed, difficulties they encountered, and general consultation goals. Results suggest that both groups are involved in a wide range of diagnostic, treatment, and consultative activities in health care settings and that there are many similarities in the ways they conceptualize their roles and how they function. However, pediatric psychologists were especially involved in clinical assessment activities, whereas research was a high priority for health psychologists. Other aspects of the roles, functions, and activities of these 2 groups are described. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The physician perspective of health psychologists in medical settings.

Examined physician attitudes and utilization of psychologists in medical settings by administering a 15-item questionnaire to 397 26–78 yr old physicians (84% male) practicing family/general practice, surgery, internal medicine, or miscellaneous clinical medicine. Although differences in attitudes were associated with age, sex, and specialty, generally favorable attitudes toward psychologists were found among Ss. Results show a recognition by the majority of Ss of the role that psychological factors play in medical disease and an appreciation of clinical psychological skills by a large majority. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Salaries of clinical psychologists employed in APA-approved internship settings: 1979.

Updates data and provides information on present salaries of clinical psychologists working in internship-training centers. Salary schedules from 80 training centers approved for predoctoral internship training in clinical or counseling psychology indicate that federally-funded training centers provide the highest salaries for psychologists, and charity-supported agencies and those located in the Northeast provide the lowest salaries. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theoretical orientations and work settings of clinical and counseling psychologists: A current perspective.

Questionnaires returned by 387 American Psychological Association Division 12 (Clinical) and Division 17 (Counseling) members were analyzed in terms of the theoretical orientations and work settings of the respondents. Comparisons by division affiliation and age were made. Overall, more than three fourths of the sample drew from at least two theoretical orientations, and more than half of the respondents reported at least two work settings. Clinical psychologists seem to be undergoing a shift in terms of preferred theoretical orientation; younger members heavily preferred behavioral approaches, whereas older members preferred psychodynamic approaches. Younger counseling psychologists, meanwhile, appeared to be more interested in private practice than did their older colleagues, who tended to prefer academic and agency settings. These findings suggest that clinical and counseling psychology are dissimilar enough to argue against merger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Opportunities in public policy to support infant and early childhood mental health: The role of psychologists and policymakers.

Infant and early childhood mental health practices can be supported by policies and professional standards of care that foster the healthy development of young children. Policies that support infants and toddlers include those that strengthen their families to provide a family environment that promotes mental wellness. Policy issues for infants, toddlers, and young children have come to the forefront of thinking as children need a “voice” to advocate for their support and care. This article (a) highlights several important policy areas that support the social–emotional development of very young children and (b) gives examples of current policy accomplishments and challenges. The article offers a policy agenda to promote the mental health of infants and young children and suggests ways that psychologists can engage with policymakers to promote policies that foster infant mental health, including contributing to the knowledge base that informs policy decisions, educating the public and policymakers about early childhood development and mental wellness, forming community partnerships to identify and address infant mental health risks, and participating in the development of policy recommendations that improve access to evidence-based practices in infant mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A survey of psychologists at health maintenance organizations and community mental health centers.

Conducted a national survey of psychologists at health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and a comparison group of psychologists at community mental health centers. Activities and attitudes, and overall staffing patterns are examined. Recommendations are made for increasing the involvement of psychologists at HMOs. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond the mental health clinic: New settings and activities for clinical psychology internships.

Is the current internship system sufficiently diverse to prepare psychologists for the many professional roles they will take on in the post-managed care future? Creating internships in new settings may help clinical psychology become a stronger presence in diverse areas of intervention and expand work with populations less commonly reached in the clinical psychotherapy model. The author presents initial suggestions for creating training programs in which interns could develop and apply their knowledge in prevention, public policy, and community action. The potential benefits and challenges of such innovative internships are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Managing the violent patient: A guide for psychologists and other mental health professionals.

Being threatened, harassed, attacked, or confronted by a patient with a weapon is becoming more common and is likely to occur at some point in a mental health professional's career. Effective violence management programs can reduce the incidence of violence. Yet, few resources have been provided to assist psychologists and other mental health professionals to deal with aggressive patients. The authors offer strategies for the management of aggressive behavior that can be implemented to empower practitioners to take precautions when necessary in a quick and efficient manner when dealing with violent and potentially violent patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age and health bias in practicing clinical psychologists.

Although ageism is widely cited as a problem in mental health delivery, it is unknown whether practitioner biases are related to factors such as physical health. A randomly drawn national sample of experienced practicing doctoral-level psychologists (N?=?371) responded to detailed vignettes of a client presenting with symptoms of depression, in which age (35 years or 70 years) and health (unremarkable or poor) were manipulated. Respondents completed ratings involving professional and interpersonal judgments about the hypothetical client. Results revealed some evidence for age bias, but much stronger effects indicating health biases regardless of client age. Because depressed older persons often present with concomitant health problems, health bias among clinicians is especially relevant for older patients. Implications for service delivery to older adults, and individuals with health problems, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Public attitudes about psychologists and mental health care: Research to guide the American Psychological Association public education campaign.

Focus groups and a random telephone survey were conducted to examine the public's attitudes toward mental health providers. The research showed that the public has very little understanding of the qualifications and credentials of psychologists and cannot tell one mental health provider from another. Respondents believed that their emotional health affects their physical health but were typically not willing to pay more for mental health insurance coverage. An information gap was also evident: A majority of respondents agreed that psychological health is important, but almost half said they wish they had more information about how and when to access psychological services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Roles for psychologists in emerging models of school-related health and mental health services.

Describes contributions of school, clinical, community, and health psychology to emerging school-based and school-linked health and mental health service delivery models. The author contends that these 4 areas integrate well to inform the development and targets of health service delivery approaches in and linked to the schools and to set the stage for defining the emerging and future roles of psychologists providing health and mental health care in these contexts. Emerging and future roles of psychologists as health care providers through schools include roles in development, implementation, and administration of these models, direct and indirect service provision, interfacing of health and educational outcomes, and applied research and evaluation activities. Implications for the education and training of current and future psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Occupational settings facilitating wisdom-related knowledge: The sample case of clinical psychologists.

Wisdom can be defined as expert knowledge in the fundamental pragmatics of life. Examined here is whether clinical practice may facilitate access to and acquisition of such knowledge. Spontaneous think-aloud responses to 2 wisdom-related dilemmas from 12 young (aged 26–37 yrs) and 12 older (aged 65–82 yrs) female clinicians were compared with responses obtained from 17 young (aged 28–37 yrs) and 19 older (aged 64–75 yrs) other female professionals. Raters judged clinicians' responses as higher on 5 criteria of wisdom: factual knowledge, procedural knowledge, life-span contextualism, value relativism, and management of uncertainty. Contrary to most studies of cognitive aging, young and older adults did not differ. Rather, each age-cohort group received highest ratings when responding to a life dilemma matched to their own life phase. The application of a wisdom framework to assessing therapeutic treatment goals and therapist interventions as well as global changes in client's beliefs during therapy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Providing public testimony: A guide for psychologists.

Psychologists are increasingly asked for their opinions about public policy issues. Effective testimony can influence policies for the benefit of the profession and society. Few resources, however, describe how psychologists can acquire the skills to maximize the impact of this venue for public presentation. This article offers guidelines for the preparation, delivery, and dissemination of testimony to a range of legislative groups (e.g., advisory committees, school boards, congressional committees). Providing formal education and training about public policy will help the next generation of psychologists advise legislators more effectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children and public policy: A role for psychologists.

Discusses the 1970 Joint Commission on Mental Health of Children report. The issues raised by the report are considered, and recommendations are presented for the response of the American Psychological Association (APA). The limitations of the APA in the area of its official position on public policy or programs, the establishment of priority statements after analyses of program costs, and the utilization of lobbyists are discussed. It is suggested that psychologists establish rank order priorities for the problems of prevention of psychopathologies in children. The advantages of the child advocacy system and of universally available preschool programs, especially for the disadvantaged, are discussed. Research is proposed which would cover 3 areas: nationwide epidemiological studies, assessment and evaluation of action-oriented social programs, and multidisciplinary research into causative factors. A general model for delivering services to children and families is outlined which would utilize the local schools as the 1st level for assessment and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A public mental health issue: Risk-taking behavior and compulsive gambling.

Discusses risk-taking behavior, particularly compulsive gambling, as a significant mental health issue that demands serious attention on the part of mental health practitioners. Pathological gambling is described as an illness in which the individual is driven by an overwhelming and uncontrollable impulse to gamble, an obsession that often involves placing higher priority on gambling than on family, occupation, and personal belongings. Factors associated with gambling pathology are discussed, and 3 phases (winning, losing, and desperation) that are typically associated with the disorder are described. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The New Federalism and state mental health agencies: Roles for psychologists.

As state governments expand and become more influential and as universities constrict employment opportunities for psychologists, psychologists should consider career possibilities in state mental health systems. Four key functions in the state mental health agency are described: administration, training, research, and evaluation. Changes in professional training that are needed to adequately prepare psychologists for these nontraditional career roles are discussed. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)