Clarification and elaboration on evidence-based practice in psychology.

Responds to comments by D. C. Wendt and B. D. Slife (see record 2007-13085-019), P. H. Hunsberger (see record 2007-13085-020), and R. B. Stuart and S. O. Lilienfeld (see record 2007-13085-021) regarding the report by the APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice (see record 2006-05893-001) entitled Evidence-based practice in psychology. The goal of the task force was to create a scheme that would suggest how evidence should be used to design and offer services that will benefit patients and to assure the public and the health care system that psychologists are providing evidence-based services. There were and will continue to be many scientific and philosophical issues inherent in any such enterprise, and agreement by all psychologists with every aspect of EBPP may not be possible. Nevertheless, the APA's EBPP policy and the report that accompanied it are remarkably inclusive of various perspectives while remaining unambiguous about the need to use evidence in a way that leads to effective services. What is needed at this point are clinically relevant evidence and investigations of how such evidence can be used to best benefit those served by psychological interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addressing key challenges in evidence-based practice in psychology.

With its promise of enhancing the effectiveness of services, evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP) appears to offer much to psychologists, patients, and policymakers. The purpose of this article is to examine some of the key challenges facing psychologists who wish to provide evidence-based treatment services, including how research evidence is used in EBPP, whether the results of the treatment research literature can be generalized to typical clinical practice, and how effective evidence-based treatments are in clinical practice. On the basis of recent evidence-based initiatives and treatment research, there is a solid scientific basis for EBPP, although much more research is necessary on the treatment of relatively mild, but common, clinical conditions and on the transporting of evidence-based treatments into clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based practice in psychology.

The evidence-based practice movement has become an important feature of health care systems and health care policy. Within this context, the APA 2005 Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice defines and discusses evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP). In an integration of science and practice, the Task Force's report describes psychology's fundamental commitment to sophisticated EBPP and takes into account the full range of evidence psychologists and policymakers must consider. Research, clinical expertise, and patient characteristics are all supported as relevant to good outcomes. EBPP promotes effective psychological practice and enhances public health by applying empirically supported principles of psychological assessment, case formulation, therapeutic relationship, and intervention. The report provides a rationale for and expanded discussion of the EBPP policy statement that was developed by the Task Force and adopted as association policy by the APA Council of Representatives in August 2005. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supporting and treating families with children on the autistic spectrum: The unique role of the generalist psychologist.

Research findings indicate that intensive behavior therapy (e.g., applied behavioral analysis, or ABA) represents an effective treatment for autistic spectrum disorders. Unfortunately, children with autism represent an underserved patient population. Parents often make treatment decisions with insufficient information and report problems in establishing and maintaining treatment programs. This practice review asserts that psychologists, including those without professional certification or coursework in ABA, are in a unique position to assist affected children and their families. Psychologists can provide critical information about evidence-based treatment; offer assistance in overcoming barriers to intensive treatment, including personnel selection; and provide ongoing support to family members. Case examples also illustrate how psychologists can help families address specific barriers to intensive treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of malpractice litigation on professional psychology: Survey of practitioners.

Survey data revealed the extent of the rising threat of malpractice litigation against psychologists and its impact on the delivery of psychological services. Relatively few practitioners reported serious concerns about being sued for malpractice, although most had taken steps designed to protect against litigation. There was no evidence to substantiate claims of an outbreak of "litigaphobia" among psychologists. In general, the threat of malpractice litigation appears to act as an impetus for a variety of sound and ethical practice behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The funding of psychological health care services.

Examines issues related to the funding of psychological services identified by a joint task force of the Canadian Psychological Association and the Council of Provincial Associations of Psychologists. Discussion focuses on the identification and assessment of systems, sources, and methods of payment. The review of delivery and payment systems suggests that the majority of psychologists use a few payment sources and methods and that education about payment alternatives is needed. Implementation of training in psychology practice innovations and implications of the task force findings for professional standards are discussed. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Report of the Task Force on the Role of Psychology in the Criminal Justice System.

The American Psychological Association's Board of Social and Ethical Responsibility for Psychology (BSERP) commissioned a Task Force on the Role of Psychology in the Criminal Justice System to examine the ethical dilemmas faced by psychologists working with police, court, correctional, and juvenile justice agencies. In this final report, the task force makes 10 recommendations regarding the ethical practice of psychology in these areas. Both ethical issues that the criminal justice system creates for psychologists and those that psychologists create for the criminal justice system are addressed. Under the former are issues relating to the psychologist's loyalty (e.g., confidentiality) and competence (e.g., the effectiveness of services). The most controversial issue faced by the criminal justice system is the use of psychologists as decision makers in the confinement and release of individual offenders (e.g., indeterminate sentences). (61 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between psychology and organized labor: Past, present, and future.

Discusses factors that have affected and recently improved the tenuous and often hostile relationship between psychologists and unions, including an increase in published studies illustrating the applicability of psychological knowledge to labor concerns, activities within organized psychology, and increased interest in behavioral issues on the part of organized labor. In an effort to explore and ultimately improve the perception and utilization of psychologists by unionists, the authors present an overview of the literature on unionists and psychologists, offer contextual information to explain the relationship problems, and describe a number of projects conducted by an American Psychological Association task force on unions. Findings from a survey sent to 150 national, international, and independent unions that assessed current and past problems between psychologists and unions, unionist perceptions of psychologists, and the need for services that could be delivered by psychologists are presented. The need for further work, such as the identification of prolabor psychologists in the field and demonstrations to unions and their members of the efficacy of services provided by health care and organizational psychologists, is discussed. (68 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Corporate funding and conflicts of interest: A primer for psychologists.

A presidential task force on external funding was established by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2003 to review APA policies, procedures, and practices regarding the acceptance of funding and support from private corporations for educational and training programs; continuing education offerings; research projects; publications; advertising; scientific and professional meetings and conferences; and consulting, practice, and advocacy relationships. This article, based on the Executive Summary of the APA Task Force on External Funding Final Report, presents the findings and unanimous recommendations of the task force in the areas of association income, annual convention, research and journals, continuing education, education, practice, and conflicts of interest and ethics. The task force concluded that it is important for both APA and individual psychologists to become familiar with the challenges that corporate funding can pose to their integrity. The nature and extent of those challenges led the task force to recommend that APA develop explicit policies, educational materials, and continuing education programs to preserve the independence of psychological science, practice, and education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An alternative to traditional medical care for the terminally ill: Humanitarian, policy, and political issues in hospice care.

Indicates that hospice services to the terminally ill offer palliative care rather than curative treatment, emphasizing pain control and supportive/psychological services, and introduces a section of articles on hospice matters. Hospice care is of interest to psychologists because it is a service intervention alternative to traditional medical practice. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian feminism and psychology: The first decade.

The history of the Canadian Psychological Association's recognition of the validity of a feminist perspective in psychology is outlined, and the current status of women psychologists in the nation is discussed. Documenting the development of a "psychology of women" speciality, a selected review is presented of the research conducted by psychologists in Canada dealing with sex roles, sex differences, achievement, feminism, and psychobiology. In the applied areas of the discipline, analogous developments have occurred in terms of the establishment of a link between sex roles and psychopathology, the critical appraisal of traditional therapies, the creation of alternative therapy approaches, and the generation of ethical standards pertinent to the provision of psychological services to women. The interdisciplinary quality of the psychology of women is discussed and an overview of this new field is provided. (French abstract) (4 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social reforms and the future of school practice: Implications for American psychology.

Social reforms in American education are setting the stage for a paradigm shift in our nation's schools. The convergence of education and health care reform and the movement in the human services arena toward service integration models provide an unprecedented opportunity to redefine psychological services related to schools for the next century. Whereas school psychological services historically have been linked to changes in special education legislation, social reforms in education and health care that emphasize educational achievement and whole-child development offer promise for expanding and enhancing the roles of psychologists whose practices relate to schools and children. This article explores the foundations for change and highlights critical areas in which psychological practice in the schools may develop in the 1990s and beyond. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child Death From Pediatric Illness: Conceptualizing Intervention From a Family/Systems and Public Health Perspective.

Despite the universal and understandable distress associated with the death of a child from pediatric illness, do psychologists help surviving families in ways that match their need for assistance? Many families do not seek psychological help and cope adaptively with their loss. Indications for psychotherapy with bereaved families are based largely on experience with families who engage in treatment and who have greater distress. Other families may not receive sufficient services but are at risk for ongoing difficulties and unlikely to engage in treatment. Suggestions for intervention are made, with attention to the fit of therapeutic approaches with family needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Organizational structures and service delivery in Nova Scotia.

Surveyed 16 clinical settings in Nova Scotia to determine the nature of the psychological services offered and examined their organizational context. 13 surveys were returned. The majority of the settings provide traditional mental health services. The majority of clinical psychologists are found in general regional hospitals rather than in mental health settings. Psychologists offer a wide array of services, such as those to medical patients. Psychologists practice independently; they are able to assess and treat patients in the absence of either assessment or referral by other professionals. The interests of psychologists tend to be represented at the highest level of their institutions by professionals other than psychologists. There were no organized psychology departments in more than half the settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparing psychologists for evidence-based school practice: Lessons learned and challenges ahead.

The evidence-based practice (EBP) movement has the potential to significantly advance the quality of psychological and educational services provided by psychologists working in schools. Training psychologists in EBP has challenged the profession and caused faculty in graduate programs to reevaluate and retool professional training curricula and instructional practices. Four domains of challenges in graduate training are identified: (a) integrating the EBP knowledge base into the curriculum, (b) expanding models of research training, (c) expanding training in prevention science, and (d) expanding training in problem-solving consultation and school contextual issues. For each of these, the author discusses the range and scope of the challenge and possible solutions for advancing graduate training in psychology relevant to school practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reestablishing clinical psychology's subjective core.

Comments on the report by the APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice (see record 2006-05893-001) entitled Evidence-based practice in psychology. The Task Force is to be commended for their report valuing evidence from "clinical expertise" on a par with "research data" (p. 272) in guiding psychological practices. The current author suggests that the APA not only should make a place at psychology's policymaking table for "clinical expertise" but should prioritize clinical and subjective sources of data--the essence of the psychological--and set policies to ensure that objective data, such as behaviors and DSM diagnoses, are considered in their subjective context. The APA should also encourage researchers to devise ways to preserve as much as possible the personal "feel" of the clinical encounter in their data analysis and published conclusions. The APA also needs to assign priority to subjective emotional and relational skills on a par with academic and analytic skills in the selection and training of clinical psychology students. Reconnecting clinical psychology with its subjective evidentiary roots in ways such as these should help to bring us out from under the dominance of medicine, to the benefit of our profession and our clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special section on clinical intervention in child sexual abuse.

The purpose of this special section is to further research, clinical practice, and teaching in the area of child sexual abuse. Although most of the articles are written by psychologists and are relevant to research, practice, and teaching by psychologists, the articles have relevance to other professionals as well. The special section is composed of seven articles. The first focuses on the effects of child sexual abuse. The next five articles have relevance for assessment and treatment. The last article focuses on teaching clinical intervention in child sexual abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Crises telephone services.

Discusses the proliferation of crisis telephone services, which are usually staffed by nonprofessionals. When psychologists offer their services to these organizations, they are usually met with resentment. Perhaps the best role for psychologists would be assisting in training the volunteers. Training methods include didactic sessions and role playing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists as managers: Overcoming old guilts and accessing innovative pathways for enhanced skills.

Management roles for psychologists now offer promising career opportunities for using psychological techniques for enhancing the health as well as the productivity of organizations and their employees. Although many psychologists recognize this, they lack more specific information about bridging the gap between the desire to become a manager and the taking of concrete steps to actually become one. Emerging practice arenas, support systems, and training opportunities for psychologists who want to become managers are discussed. Psychologists can learn to be better managers and can benefit by tying into managerially oriented, educational, and professional networks. At the same time, old guilts about being a managerial or entrepreneurial psychologist may linger and need to be overcome. Specific opportunities for psychologists in innovative areas of practice, research, and consultation that require managerial knowledge and skills are identified. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)