A Survey of Hospital Psychology in Canada.

Despite the major advances in health psychology over the past decade and the changes that have taken place in the Canadian health sector, there remains a paucity of information available about the structure of psychological services in Canadian health-care settings. The most current information about psychology in Canada's hospitals was gathered in 1982 - almost 20 years ago (Arnett, Martin, Steiner, & Goodman, 1987). This article updates the previous information, as it presents the results of a survey that was sent to 975 acute, psychiatric and continuing care health facilities with a minimum patient bed count of 100. Detailed information about the number of psychologists and administrative organizations of psychological services in Canada are reported. The range of services provided by psychologists in health-care settings has expanded, and professional autonomy, as shown by the existence of independent departments of psychology, has changed. The implications of these results for the organization and delivery of psychological services in Canadian healthcare, and for advocacy on the part of psychology, are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists in Canadian medical schools.

Conducted a national survey of 67 psychologists holding academic appointments in 16 Canadian medical schools. The number of psychologists, their professional activities and work attitudes, and the organizational models of psychology at the medical schools were examined. Results indicate major differences in the average number of psychologists at Canadian and US medical schools. However, among the 2 groups of psychologists, a number of strong similarities in work activities and attitudes were found. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical and health psychology: Future directions.

Whether clinical psychology continues to comprehensively serve the public and to benefit from enhanced future professional opportunities depends significantly on its ability to extend the professional identity and mainstream activities of clinical psychologists beyond the current nearly exclusive focus on mental health. Clinical psychology needs to embrace all areas of health with the same vigor and skill that has been applied to mental health. This enhancement in professional role requires significant change in the educational approach of many Canadian clinical psychology doctoral training programs. Such suggested change will undoubtedly provoke much resistance. Considerable leadership will be required of our professional associations and accreditation bodies to encourage and guide the broadening of clinical psychology educational and training programs. Suggestions for educational reform are presented here to stimulate discussion rather than to provide a blueprint for the re-conceptualization of clinical training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and health care.

Recent advances in health care psychology are noted, especially those involving the conceptualization and treatment of lifestyle and chronic health problems. The contributions to health care psychology of community psychology, brief psychological treatments, behavioral medicine, and health psychology are outlined. The central task of both organized psychology and individual psychologists is to create an underlying structure of clear boundaries and standards for clinical practice and training in health care psychology. Initially, this task should involve an inventory of Canadian psychologists currently providing health care services and the nature and amount of those services. Subsequently, a need exists for the profession to examine and create guidelines in psychological service delivery, professional role models, training, and scientific methods pertaining to general health care. (French abstract) (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rehabilitation: Psychology's greatest opportunity?

Rehabilitation (RHB) is one of the fastest growing areas in the health industry. Supported by several key pieces of legislation, psychologists have established themselves as integral health care providers in RHB. Although psychologists have benefited from legislated membership in RHB, most individual psychologists and the psychological associations have not recognized the importance of public policy for the practice of psychology. Escalating health care costs have resulted in major revisions in the manner in which health insurers reimburse treatment. Medicare, the major federal health insurance provider, increasingly has been viewed as a model for the provision of all health care. The historic exclusion of psychologists from Medicare has limited the scope of psychologists' practice and the growth of professional psychology. The recent inclusion of psychologists in Medicare improves but does not solve practice and policy issues confronting psychology. Knowledge of national health policy formulation and greater participation by psychologists in health policy are necessary to secure the scope of professional practice most psychologists expect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hospital practice: Psychology's call to action.

The general public has recently made demands for continuity of care in psychological services from outpatient settings to inpatient facilities and back. These demands plus 3 economic and structural modifications within the nation's health-care arena, including the incursion of for-profit health-care corporations into the health delivery industry, the 1985 Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals decision to include nonphysician providers on hospital medical staffs, and the 1990 California Supreme Court Decision (CAPP v. Rank) ensuring full medical staff participation by California psychologists, have opened the doors to the independent practice of psychology in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and day treatment facilities. This article presents current professional realities for psychologists in hospitals and health-care settings and reviews the work of the American Psychological Association in support of hospital independent practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributions of Canadian community psychology.

The contributions of Canadian community psychologists to ethics, theory, methodology, research, and practise are highlighted in this article. Important debates about ethical issues in psychological research and practise have been advanced by Canadian community psychologists. Canadian community psychologists have also introduced theoretical perspectives (e.g., cognitive community psychology) that have provided an impetus for research and practise, and they have broadened the focus of research in community settings with contributions to participatory action research, program evaluation, and qualitative methods. A variety of substantive contributions have been made to the research literature, especially in the areas of community mental health, prevention, and social inclusion. Finally, Canadian community psychologists have contributed to practise in terms of policy, programs, and social interventions. The article concludes with a discussion of future potential areas of contribution for Canadian community psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

General hospital psychology.

Reviews major developments in the practice of hospital psychology, focusing on 4 current influences on hospital psychologists—the deinstitutionalization of chronic mental patients, the emergence of health psychology and behavioral medicine, the changing nature of hospitals, and the pursuit of increased autonomy by general hospital psychologists. A matrix within which to conceptualize and evaluate hospital-based psychological services is presented. (French abstract) (54 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial. On Tub Thumping.

The current issue of the Canadian Psychologist presents coordinated contributions which identify emerging issues in Canadian psychology and offers data-supported comment on academic, numerical and publication characteristics of Canadian psychologists. The reader will catch the sense of decision for psychology in Canada--with respect to the internal balance, priorities and goals of the discipline, and for our interface (or lack of it) with accelerating change in goals and methods of society in general. This editorial also discusses a lack of communication among psychologists in Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The research readership and information source reliance of clinical psychologists.

Conducted a mail survey of 95 clinical psychologists employed in VA hospitals, medical schools, state mental hospitals, and federally funded community mental health centers to determine the extent to which clinicians read research articles and/or rely on other sources of information for their professional work activities. Results indicate that academic clinicians and medical school psychologists read slightly more than 4 research articles each month, while the other psychologists read slightly more than 2 articles each month. Furthermore, the groups of psychologists differentially relied on such information sources as nonresearch articles and workshops. Findings are discussed in the context of mental health research utilization and mental health innovation diffusion. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists in medical schools—professional issues for the future: How are rank and tenure associated with productivity and satisfaction?

The authors surveyed a random sample of 293 psychologists employed as faculty members in medical schools to evaluate professional activities, academic productivity, and work satisfaction. A relatively high response rate (62%) was obtained. Medical school psychologists devoted significant amounts of time to clinical service (30%) and research (34%). Overall satisfaction was relatively high, and participants expressed substantial enthusiasm regarding the future of psychology in medical schools. When differences were examined by tenure track and academic rank, psychologists on the tenure track and full professors displayed the highest levels of productivity and satisfaction. This pattern continued when medical school psychologists ranked their satisfaction in relation to physician colleagues and faculty in university departments of psychology. Results are discussed within the context of the rapidly evolving health care delivery system and the future of psychologists in medical schools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Future directions for industrial psychology in Canada.

Reviews 6 industrial topics of central concern to Canadian industrial psychology (job analysis and classification, criterion development/performance appraisal, personnel selection, training and development, job evaluation/equal pay, and affirmative action/employment equity). Each topic is reviewed in 3 parts: presentation of a brief historical précis, discussion of recent Canadian developments, and identification of future research needs. It is concluded that Canadian industrial psychologists must greatly increase their input to research in these basic personnel areas, as well as contribute more to the development of policy and professional standards, if Canadian industrial psychologists are to fully participate in addressing societal demands for increased productivity and nondiscriminatory personnel practices. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian counselling psychologists' contributions to applied psychology.

The goal of this paper is to draw attention to the contributions of Canadian counselling psychologists in three key areas central to the discipline: (a) multiculturalism, social justice, and advocacy; (b) health, wellness, and prevention, and (c) career psychology. Accordingly, we have situated our discussion within a historical framework of the discipline followed by a discussion of the Canadian context, definitions, and specific contributions. Finally, we offer a summary of the strengths and current challenges faced by Canadian counselling psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

1981 CPA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Profession.

Presents a citation for the 1981 CPA Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology as a Profession recipient, Park Olof Davidson. While Dr. Davidson's contributions to academic clinical and community psychology were significant, it was the leadership, wise counsel and guidance he provided for professional psychology and psychologists across the nation that set him apart from his confreres. For example, in Alberta and British Columbia, he was President and Member of the Board of Directors of the respective provincial associations. Nationally, Dr. Davidson served CPA as President, ACPAP as Chairman, and both initiated and acted as the Coordinator of the Canadian Counsel of Clinical Program Directors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional practice out of the urban context: Defining Canadian rural psychology.

There is an often unacknowledged difference between urban and rural practice in psychology which lacks clarity, in part, because of the lack of a common definition of rurality. Rural psychology in Canada presents complex and nuanced aspects of professional practice. The professional and social milieus of rural communities position the practising psychologist within a context that may differ vastly from urban settings. The rural context highlights the need to define this specific practice setting. This paper proposes a tentative definition of rural Canadian professional practice in psychology. This is meant to elucidate the distinct practice, training, and ethical considerations that may be the realities of the psychologists who are in professional practice in rural Canada. Rural professional practice is unique and Canadian training programs are urban-based. Training of future psychologists needs to acknowledge the unique features of rural practice to meet our obligations to students specifically and to rural Canadians generally. This is enhanced with a shared definition of rural professional practice in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction.

The three articles presented in this issue reflect different problems encountered by psychologists as each attempted to pursue a career. All three psychologists were trail blazers, developing new applications of psychological knowledge, and each faced different challenges. Stanley Moldawsky, a pioneer in the development of professional psychology, reflects on the establishment of a private practice in the 1950s. He shares how politics had to become an important concern in order to survive, gives us a glimpse of some of the hurdles that had to be crossed to establish a professional school in New Jersey, and impresses on us that professional psychology will grow only if we advocate for it. In contrast to Moldawsky, Jonathan Cummings' career was devoted to the application of clinical and counseling psychology to the medical-surgical areas of the health field. His career was focused on working in the Veterans Administration Hospital system, where he was the first psychologist who was assigned to work outside of the mental health area. Cummings' work was instrumental in the development of the field of health psychology and of the need to focus on the whole person when treating people in these settings. John Jackson, in his poignant essay, reflects on the upward climb of minorities into professional psychology. An African American, Jackson did not have the benefit of more recent civil rights legislation to assist his career. He reflects on his involvements with the American Psychological Association and how he perceives the role of minority psychologists within organized psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An introduction to psychologists treating medically ill patients: Competent practice and seeking credentials in organized health care settings for routine or incidental practice.

Psychology has been recognized as a health care science and profession, and psychologists have been working clinically with medically ill patients and within organized health care settings and hospitals for decades. The potentially daunting environment of organized health care should be seen by psychology as an opportunity to further develop and expand its scope of practice. With knowledge of that environment's rules, regulations, ethics, bylaws, and traditions, the clinically competent psychologist who is first seeking to practice in hospitals should succeed alongside psychologists with busy practices who are already exclusively or occasionally within an organized health care setting or medical facility. This article reviews issues of competency, credentialing, privileges, bylaws, and practice expansion to guide psychologists toward a successful hospital practice with medically ill patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining careers in sport psychology: Who is working and who is making money?

Can psychologists earn a living working in sport psychology? The authors surveyed all professional members of American Psychological Association Division 47 and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology regarding their income and work in sport psychology. Four hundred and thirty-three individuals responded. Sport scientists were more likely to be working in academic settings and had incomes consistent with psychologists in academia. Sport scientists in applied settings were less successful financially. Clinical and counseling psychologists in applied settings were supplementing their income through applied sport psychology work. Part-time, supplemental involvement in sport psychology appears more practical today than full-time employment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Three decades of professional psychology: Reflections and future challenges.

Presents the author's observations, from both a public and personal viewpoint, on those factors and events that have affected professional psychology in Canada. The personal viewpoint was gained from over 30 yrs of professional practice as a scientist practitioner. During this same time, he was a psychology department head in an adult general then a pediatric hospital. Concomitant with this experience he held academic and clinical appointments first in a university department of psychiatry and then in a school of psychology with a cross appointment in a department of pediatrics. The public viewpoint was gained from experience with provincial and federal granting agencies, from governance issues with service on the Canadian Psychological Association's Board of Directors and with issues of accreditation, licensure and credentialing. There are lessons to be drawn from the experience. Within the same personal and public perspective, a number of issues as diverse as the unification of psychology as a discipline and a profession, academic entry level requirements, psychology's place in the health care system and mobility are identified and discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental health services in a single payer system: Lessons from Canada and principles for an American plan.

Reviews the advantages of financing mental health care in the US along the lines of the Canadian single-payer system and argues that the pillars of the Canadian system (accessibility, comprehensiveness, portability, public administration, and universality) are standards a restructured US system could achieve. The merits of including mental health coverage in a basic benefits package are also discussed. The authors believe limits on reimbursement for psychologists in Canada should not keep US psychologists from supporting single-payer proposals because (1) the professional Zeitgeist in the US in 1992 is very different from that of Canada in the late 1960s and (2) Canadian psychologists could have participated but failed to achieve professional consensus on the merits of inclusion in the national health program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)