APA and (AP)–2.

Psychology developed 100 yrs ago as a laboratory "science," and there was no real interest in application until World War I. After World War I, psychology became more applied, but after World War II it exploded as clinical psychology. Clinical psychologists sought a professional society in the state psychological associations and eventually gained the support of the American Psychological Association (APA). The author emphasizes that, although basic and applied training procedures parallel the medical model, clinical psychologists are not junior psychiatrists and that they make a unique contribution because of their training in research and statistics. The author further states that their contributions should be supported by all psychologists for the benefit of everyone, including academic psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conference on the professional preparation of clinical psychologists: A summary.

Presents a summary of the conference on the professional preparation of clinical psychologists. Without countenancing the lowering of standards as such, the conferees have sought for a responsible position in the face of the dilemma presented by the foregoing combination of circumstances. Brought together for the purpose were not only clinical psychologists and their colleagues in applied areas, but experimental and social psychologists as well, together with representatives of such other disciplines as psychiatry and social work, a group including both suppliers of clinical psychologists and consumers. Topics discussed at the conference include: professional preparation; clinical training; research training; curricula; alternative models of doctoral training; and so forth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing evangelical Protestant psychologists trained at secular versus religiously affiliated programs.

Four hundred evangelical Protestant psychologists trained at secular or religiously affiliated clinical psychology doctoral programs were compared for their views on ethical issues and their use of religious interventions in clinical practice. Religious psychologists trained at secular programs were comparatively more conservative and more likely to use and value religious techniques in psychotherapy with religious or nonreligious clients than were religious psychologists trained at religiously affiliated programs (p     

The education and training of clinical psychologists in the Netherlands.

With the reduction of the doctorandus program in the Netherlands to 4 yrs, a graduate program has been created that is significant to clinical psychology because it separates the research and applied orientations. The research orientation leads to the PhD, the applied orientation to a certificate of professional registration. This distinction has effectively ended the scientist–practitioner model underlying the training of clinical psychologists. In moving clinical psychology from its scientific research base, psychology has become more fragmented, and in a way that has far-reaching implications for the discipline and the profession in the Netherlands. These developments are of interest due to the debate in the US and elsewhere on training and licensure of clinical psychologists and concern about the unity of psychology. (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)     

Do Applied Psychologists Die Young?

Examined whether psychologists engaged in applied fields of psychology die earlier than psychologists in other fields. Data for two samples of male psychologists in 1960 were analyzed. The answer to the question, "Do applied psychologists die young?", appears to be, "Yes, at least in comparison to other psychologists in 1960." Whether 1960 was simply an unfortunate year for applied psychologists does not seem likely though it is possible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practical and ethical issues pertaining to test revisions.

Revisions of clinical psychological tests are occurring at more frequent intervals than in the past. These revisions involve such practical issues as the goals of the revision, the economic considerations relating to the revision, the methodology of the revision, and the degree to which the revision meets the available scientific and ethical standards governing the use of these tests in individual assessment. A tension between practical and ethical issues in the test revision process is inevitable and demands the best of psychologists in their decision making. Test developers, psychologists, patients, and consumers of the test interpretations and recommendations have legitimate interests and a stake in seeing that test revisions are applied with maximal effectiveness and fairness in the broadest sense. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional psychologists as group treatment providers: Utilization, training, and trends.

Examined the use of professional psychologists as providers of group psychotherapy/counseling and the doctoral training of psychologists as group treatment providers in 2 national surveys of 287 service agencies and of the American Psychological Association-accredited counseling and clinical doctoral psychology programs. Results indicate that group treatment is a widely established treatment modality and that psychologists function as group service providers at most of the clinical agencies where they are employed. The survey of doctoral programs indicated that the curricula of doctoral training programs do not reflect the importance of the group modality in clinical setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists’ attitudes and ethical concerns regarding the use of social networking web sites.

Most psychologists seek to control self-disclosures they make to patients, but the Internet’s rapid development and widespread use over the past decade have introduced new problems for psychologists trying to avoid inappropriate disclosures. A total of 695 psychology graduate students and psychologists were surveyed about their current use of social networking Web sites (SNWs), opinions regarding regulation of online activities by the American Psychological Association (APA), and interactions in clinical work as a result of online activities. Established psychologists seldom use SNWs and may lack the experience to provide relevant supervisory guidance. No consensus about the need for APA guidelines emerged. Historically, APA has not issued guidelines in technological areas of rapid change. Thus, graduate training and continuing education should address the ethics of SNWs. (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)     

Do Applied Psychologists Die Less Often?

Comments on the J. M. Reisman ("Do applied psychologists die young?" American Psychologist, 1962, 17, 265) article, which examined the longevity of applied psychologists. After a re-analysis of Reisman's data, the present author concludes that the answer to the question, "Do applied psychologists die less often?" is, "Yes, at least in comparison to other psychologists in 1960." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why psychologists should treat alcohol and drug problems.

Because of the prevalence of substance abuse in general clinical populations, it is important for psychologists to have knowledge and skill in this area. Psychologists also have special expertise to offer in the assessment and treatment of alcohol/drug problems. Current evidence indicates that (1) alcohol/drug problems generally obey ordinary behavioral principles and processes, (2) substance abuse frequently occurs within a broader cluster of psychological problems, (3) the treatment approaches most strongly supported by outcome research are fundamentally psychological in nature, (4) cognitive–behavioral principles are of demonstrable value in motivating change in alcohol/drug use, and (5) clinical skills and styles (e.g., empathy) commonly included in the training of psychologists are important determinants of favorable treatment out comes with substance use disorders. These factors in the context of changing health care indicate that psychologists should play an increasing role in assessing and treating addictive behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consumer-focused psychological assessment.

To enhance the clinical utility of psychological assessments, the author recommends a consumer-focused approach to health care marketing--the "Four Rs": relevance, response, relationships, and results (J. English, 2000). Research suggests 5 responses psychologists can take to increase the relevance of psychological assessments: (a) eliminate jargon, (b) focus on referral questions, (c) individualize assessment reports, (d) emphasize client strengths, and (e) write concrete recommendations. To build relationships with consumers, psychologists should collaborate with them when formulating referral questions and providing feedback of assessment results. Finally, psychologists should use the results of consumer satisfaction studies to improve the clinical utility of psychological assessments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of self-help materials for anxiety and depression in mental health services: A national survey of psychologists in Norway.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 42(3) of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (see record 2011-11548-002). The author's affiliations were listed incorrectly. The correct affiliations are in the correction.] How do psychologists in clinical practice perceive and use self-help materials for clients with anxiety and depression? The use of self-help materials with guidance from a therapist has been suggested as a way of meeting the increasing need for mental health services. The present study investigated factors relevant to the use of self-help materials for the treatment of anxiety and depression among psychologists employed in mental health services. Among 1863 eligible clinical psychologists in Norway, 815 (43.7%) participated in a national survey. A total of 93.5% of the participants had recommended self-help materials to clients, and approximately half (55.1%) had received requests from their clients regarding self-help materials. Self-help materials were recommended as an adjunct and not as an alternative to therapist contact by 73.0% of respondents, by 16.6% for relapse prevention, and by 1.2% to clients on a waiting list. Internet/computer-based programs were recommended by 2.2% of the participants. The practitioner's previous use of self-help materials to enhance his or her therapy skills and knowledge of self-help materials was related to use of self-help materials with clients. Psychologists working in child mental health services recommended self-help less often than those working in adult services. These results have implications for future efforts to disseminate effective self-help materials through increased attention toward self-help interventions in training and clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

An updated account of the ethical and legal considerations of record keeping.

The Canadian literature is void of contemporary guidelines for clinical record keeping for psychologists, as the most recent article was published more than two decades ago (Eberlein, 1990). However, the techniques used in record keeping have greatly advanced, specifically with regard to the role of computers and the use of electronic documents. Furthermore, new legislation and guidelines have been developed in response to these technological advancements. The purpose of this article is to provide a concise, accessible, and up-to-date set of guidelines on record keeping in psychology. The professional and legal requirements of psychologists are discussed with regard to the use, content, access, ownership, and retention of records with special consideration given to electronic documents. Recommendations are made for Canadian psychologists that are consistent with the current legal and professional standards of the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 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)     

"Use of self-help materials for anxiety and depression in mental health services: A national survey of psychologists in Norway": Correction to Nordgreen and Havik (2011).

Reports an error in "Use of self-help materials for anxiety and depression in mental health services: A national survey of psychologists in Norway" by Tine Nordgreen and Odd E. Havik (Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2011[Apr], Vol 42[2], 185-191). The authors' affiliations were listed incorrectly. The correct affiliations are provided in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2011-08009-010.) How do psychologists in clinical practice perceive and use self-help materials for clients with anxiety and depression? The use of self-help materials with guidance from a therapist has been suggested as a way of meeting the increasing need for mental health services. The present study investigated factors relevant to the use of self-help materials for the treatment of anxiety and depression among psychologists employed in mental health services. Among 1863 eligible clinical psychologists in Norway, 815 (43.7%) participated in a national survey. A total of 93.5% of the participants had recommended self-help materials to clients, and approximately half (55.1%) had received requests from their clients regarding self-help materials. Self-help materials were recommended as an adjunct and not as an alternative to therapist contact by 73.0% of respondents, by 16.6% for relapse prevention, and by 1.2% to clients on a waiting list. Internet/computer-based programs were recommended by 2.2% of the participants. The practitioner's previous use of self-help materials to enhance his or her therapy skills and knowledge of self-help materials was related to use of self-help materials with clients. Psychologists working in child mental health services recommended self-help less often than those working in adult services. These results have implications for future efforts to disseminate effective self-help materials through increased attention toward self-help interventions in training and clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical Psychologists as Psychotherapists: History, Future, and Alternatives.

As managed care and other cost-containment strategies become centralfeatures of the American health care system, doctoral-level clinical psychologists will be increasingly supplanted in the role of psychotherapist by lower cost providers such as social workers, marriage and family counselors, and masters-level psychologists. To provide one basis for clinical psychologists to make judgments about their role in psychotherapy, this article describes what the field was like before psychotherapy became a core activity and then compares the present transition with its historical counterpart: the opening up of the psychotherapy profession to doctoral-level clinical psychologists after World War II. History suggests that efforts to resist the current changes will be unsuccessful and that the most adaptive coping strategy for clinical psychologists is to take advantage of the transition by re-envisioning training and practice of clinical psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Opinions and use of psychological tests: A survey of clinical psychologists.

Conducted a survey of clinical psychologists, selected from Division 12 of the American Psychological Association, about their use and opinions of psychological tests. 500 psychologists were mailed questionnaires; the return rate was 50.1%. Results show that both objective and projective tests are used by clinical psychologists of all major therapeutic orientations with substantial percentages of clients. Clinicians indicated that personal clinical experience with a test was more important in their test-use decisions than pragmatic or psychometric considerations. In fact, clinicians repeatedly emphasized the subjective, insightful, and experiential nature of the testing process. Although the psychometric limitations of tests were recognized, tests were considered more valuable than suggested by reliability and validity studies, which were typically considered flawed or inaccurate. It is concluded that clinicians are probably unaffected by negative testing research because (a) there are strong needs to assess, (b) clinicians accord personal clinical experience greater weight than experimental evidence, and (c) there are few practical alternatives to tests. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)