Clinical Psychology in India: A Meta-analytic Review

Abstract

This meta-analytic review based on a sample of PsycINFO database entries, journals, books, and postings on Indian Association of Clincial Psychologists’s website, describes trends limiting empirical growth of clinical psychology in India. At the systemic level, there are debatable guidelines for credentialing clinicians, neglect of code of ethics, and premature “campaign” for indigenization. At the practice level, hypotheses are validated through case studies, personal experience, and misinterpretation of poorly collected data. Reviews to date (Avasthi, 2011; Manickam, 2008; Prabhu, and Shankar, 2004) have either downplayed or avoided addressing these issues. This review supplements other reviews in drawing attention to literary tradition and suggests measures for improving empirical base of clinical psychology. After describing systemic and practice issues, and highlighting progressive developments (Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists, Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology, and national institutes training clinicians), we recommend creating a national licensing board, expanding on the currently available (sketchy) code of ethics, regulating self-proclaimed clinicians, and conducting clinical trials that document not only (a) incremental validity of Indian concepts but also (b) inapplicability of Western research in India.