Professional Psychology Research Articles

Professional psychology training in the COVID-19 era

Professional training programmes were, and continue to be, challenged by the implications of Covid-19. Psychology training programmes in South Africa rely on experiential learning as a cornerstone for developing minimum competencies. Covid-19 restrictions meant that teaching and learning, supervision, and work-integrated learning required reconsideration, shifts and upskilling of trainees and trainers. This was particularly important given the emphasis and value of Experiential Learning Theory in training psychologists. This paper uses collaborative autoethnography to reflect on the challenges, lessons, and future recommendations for the navigation of professional training in psychology in the Covid-19 era and beyond. The key reflections highlight the necessity for hybrid learning contexts in circumstances such as Covid-19. Leadership guidance and students’ voices are invaluable assets that could facilitate a comprehensive and inclusive training programme during unprecedented times.

Event summary: A focus on domestic violence and forced marriage in adults with a learning disability

The North Thames Special Interest Group Annual Study Day was held in the BPS London Office in December. The day consisted of a business meeting and two presentations from Professor Michelle McCarthy, an expert in the area of sexuality and relationships in individuals with a learning disability. The first presentation focused on the issue of domestic violence affecting women with a learning disability. The second raised awareness of forced marriage of individuals with a learning disability. Both presentations discussed the characteristics, risk factors and considerations for clinicians to be aware of.Easy to read summary■This article describes a meeting that many psychology professionals working within learning disability services attended in the North London area.■There was a business meeting in the morning and two presentations by Michelle McCarthy in the afternoon. Michelle McCarthy has done a lot of research on sexuality and relationships for people with a learning disability.■She talked about two dangers that can affect people with a learning disability (domestic violence and forced marriage). The article summarises what the authors learned from both presentations.

The Relationship of Resilience, Self-Compassion, and Social Support to Psychological Distress in Women Collegiate Athletes During COVID-19

Given how COVID-19 had caused significant increases in collegiate athletes’ psychological distress, we examined the extent to which such distress may have been ameliorated by the athletes’ psychosocial resources (e.g., resilience). We used structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect relationships of resilience, self-compassion, and social support to women collegiate athletes’ (N = 3,924; 81.2% White) psychological distress; athletes completed measures of these constructs from mid-April to mid-May 2020. Analyses revealed significant direct effects: More supported (β = −0.12 to −0.19), self-compassionate (β = −0.48 to −0.53), and resilient (β = −0.21 to −0.35) athletes experienced less psychological distress (R2 = .61–.65). Further, self-compassion and social support were related indirectly (and inversely) to psychological distress through higher levels of resilience. These psychosocial resources appear to have played a positive role in how athletes coped with the pandemic, being associated with less psychological distress. These findings have application beyond the pandemic, providing direction for how sport psychology professionals may assist athletes in maintaining their well-being.

Bibliometric Analysis of Publications Related to Sociopetal and Sociofugal Spaces

Sociopetal and sociofugal spaces are important aspects of urban planning and design. However, no study has examined these spaces systematically, using a bibliometric perspective. This study explored the status of sociopetal and sociofugal spaces through analysis of 869 papers obtained from Google Scholar. This study’s results revealed an increasing number of publications focusing on sociopetal and sociofugal spaces over the last decade. The bibliometric analysis also showed that English was the dominant publication language and ProQuest was the most widely used source (database) for finding the papers. Besides, the most frequent keywords used were “Hall” and “chair.” The most influential document was cited 111,336 times, while the greatest number of publications were produced by Robert Sommer. These results can help architecture, urban design, and environmental psychology professionals gain a comprehensive understanding of sociopetal and sociofugal space and their planning and design implications.

Skills and Competencies Gained From a Psychology Bachelor's Degree: European Graduates’ Perspectives

Results from a survey conducted by the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations Board of Educational Affairs are reported. A total of 227 psychology graduates from across Europe responded to an online survey. Participants were presented with a set of psychology subject-specific competencies and a set of general competencies and asked to rate the extent to which (a) their Bachelor studies supported the development of these competencies and (b) these competencies were relevant for employment as well as to comment on the value of a Psychology Bachelor degree. Findings suggest that an education in psychology develops psychological skills, but also graduates with more general competencies. Overall, psychological competencies appear to develop to a high level through the Bachelor in Psychology, with the exception of specific practical skills. On the contrary, general competencies appear to not develop to an adequate degree. Practical skills focusing on the administration of psychological tools, psychometric instruments and specialist software, as well as general competencies relating to computer literacy skills, communication skills and team-working skills should be further developed to prepare graduates adequately for employment. The study highlights the value of an education in psychology particularly for those individuals who do not wish to enter the applied psychology professions or academia.

Gender Differences in Help‐Seeking: A Meta‐analysis of Japanese Studies, Including Unreported Data1

AbstractThis meta‐analysis integrated and analyzed previous Japanese findings on gender differences in help‐seeking intentions and attitudes. We searched relevant studies using the Citation Information by the National Institute of Informatics database and identified 85 articles. We also analyzed unreported statistical information provided by the primary authors of these studies. The results indicated that women had a higher tendency of intentions to seek help than men (d = −0.143, 95% CI [−0.196, −0.091], k = 64, n = 29,256). Further analysis of the types of help‐seeking showed that women intended to seek help only from friends and family members. In contrast, university students intended to seek help from psychological professionals, physicians, and other formal sources for depressive symptoms, and this intention was higher among male students. Moreover, women had more favorable attitudes about seeking help than men (d = −0.092, 95% CI [−0.156, −0.027], k = 30, n = 11,536). Furthermore, several analyses indicated heterogeneity. However, we could not identify specific potential moderators. We also found that gender differences were smaller in studies that assessed help‐seeking intentions using unvalidated measures.

Young people’s voices on emotions: a narrative inquiry

This article presents an innovative narrative inquiry study carried out in a primary school in Aotearoa New Zealand with three young people who provide insights into how they perceive, construct, give meaning to, and make sense of their own emotions. The analysis from this primary research draws on Foucauldian scholarship to examine how the narratives that young people construct about their feelings are shaped by dominant psy-discourses on emotions. We argue that through these discourses, certain voices of authority, knowledge, and ways of seeing are privileged in schools—while others are silenced—in order to label young people as emotionally or mentally “unwell” and in need of expert assistance. In doing so, we suggest that critical interdisciplinary work by health, psychology, counselling, and education professionals in schools can create spaces to explore inter-professional dialogue and reflexivity, as well as to challenge orthodox approaches to young people’s emotional lives.

Introduction and behavioral validation of the climate change distress and impairment scale

Governmental agencies and the medical and psychological professions are calling for a greater focus on the negative mental health effects of climate change (CC). As a first step, the field needs measures to distinguish affective/emotional distress due to CC from impairment that requires further scientific and diagnostic attention and that may require treatment in the future. To this end, we constructed the climate change distress and impairment scale, which distinguishes CC distress (spanning anger, anxiety, and sadness) from impairment. In four studies (N = 1699), we developed and validated English and German versions of the scale. Across samples, spanning 2021–2022, CC distress was at least moderate, while we observed general moderate to high levels of distress and low to moderate levels of impairment. In three English-speaking samples, younger individuals and women were most affected by CC distress, whereas this was not the case in a German-speaking sample, suggesting sociopolitical influencing factors. We demonstrate convergent validity with previous measures and discriminant validity for general negative affectivity and depressive and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, which underlines that CC distress is not in itself pathological. Employing a fully incentivized social dilemma paradigm, we demonstrate that CC distress and (to a lesser degree) CC impairment predict pro-environmental behavior, underscoring them as possible drivers, and targets, of climate-change mitigation efforts.

Psychological service provision in Australian Palliative Care Services.

Psychological distress is common among palliative care patients. Despite this, little is known about the availability of psychological services to support palliative care patients within Australia. This study aimed to determine the level of psychological support services available within Australian Palliative Care Services. The study was based on a similar study in Australia by Crawford in 1999, allowing differences over time to be examined. A 12-item online survey was distributed to adult Palliative Care Services throughout Australia from November 2021 to January 2022. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of responses was conducted, with comparisons made with the 1999 study using a 2-proportions z-test. Social workers were the most available professionals delivering psychological care (prevalence of 94.1%), followed by spiritual care workers (62.5%), creative therapists (43.8%), counselors (36.4%), psychiatrists (31.3%), complementary therapists (28.1%), and psychologists (25.0%). Nearly 60% of services had no access to a psychiatrist or a psychologist. The proportion of Palliative Care Services that had access to a psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor was significantly less in 2021/22 compared to 1999, with differences of 29.4% (p=0.002), 23.4% (p=0.015), and 26.1% (p=0.006), respectively. Lack of access to psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors in Australian Palliative Care Services remains a significant issue and has become more prevalent since 1999. Ongoing advocacy and increased government funding to enable psychological health professionals to be readily employed in Palliative Care Services is vital.

Balancing Regulation and Autonomy: NCAHP Act and the Psychology Profession in India.

Balancing Regulation and Autonomy: NCAHP Act and the Psychology Profession in India.

Supervising trainee counselling psychologists of colour in doctoral research: A theoretical review and practice implications

Context & focusThe Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) states a commitment to diversity, inclusion and non-discriminatory practice throughout the counselling psychology profession, and towards ensuring topics of culture and diversity are ‘mainstream discourse’ within the division (DCoP, 2021). The current paper explores diversity and inclusion, within the context of counselling psychology training; specifically, with regards to the relational aspects of doctoral research supervision, with trainees of colour. Existing evidence regarding the experiences of trainee counselling psychologists of colour are explored and considered against existing models for the task of research supervision. Personal reflections from the author’s own academic practice have been considered to illustrate points raised and to invite the reader to further self-reflection.ConclusionAnne Lee’s (2008) model, outlining five ‘tasks’ for doctoral research supervision, has been expanded upon, to incorporate a reflective response to issues highlighted within the literature described above. Recommendations are made for future research supervision practice, for educators on counselling psychology training programmes.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer concerns in professional psychology education

Best practice guidelines for psychologists working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer+ (LGBTIQ+) people and position statements against “conversion therapies” have been published internationally. These call for professional psychologist education to develop competence for work with this community, but studies show variability and lack of inclusion of LGBTIQ+ content in professional programmes in higher education institutions. A critical narrative review examined approaches to the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ concerns in the education of psychologists. A systematic literature search identified 33 papers for review. Synthesis of findings highlighted benefits and challenges of the cultural competence approach to LGBTQ+ curricular inclusion; a contested pedagogic space relating to religious belief, homophobia, and sexualities; a shift in psychology to include resilience-based frameworks of sexuality and gender diversity; and finally disaggregation of the LGBTQ+ umbrella with emergence of transgender and gender diversity focused research. Lack of research relating to people with intersex variations and the need for LGBTIQ+ representation/voices in this research area were evidenced.

Relationship between Social Cognition, Social Adjustment and Pro-Social Behaviour among Undergraduates in Federal Universities in South-East Nigeria

Aims: The thrust of this study was to determine the relationship between social cognition, social adjustment and prosocial behaviour among undergraduates in federal universities in South-east. Nigeria.
 Study Design: The study adopted the correlational survey design.
 Place and Duration of Study: Undergraduates in federal universities in South-east, Nigeria (Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Federal University of Technology, Owerri FUTO, Federal University Ndifu-Alike, Ebonyi State and Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike), between January 2023 and April 2023.
 Methodology: The sample for the study comprised of 1500 undergraduates drawn from two federal universities (University of Nigeria = 780, Nnamdi Azikiwe university = 720). The instruments for data collection were the social cognition questionnaire, social adjustment scale and pro-social behaviour scale. The instruments were validated and its reliability determined using Cronbach alpha reliability statistics (r = 0.786, r = 0.748 & r = 0.631). Data collected was analysed using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and t-test for correlation analysis. The research questions were answered using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, while hypotheses were tested using the t-test for correlation analysis.
 Results: The findings of the study revealed a high positive relationship between social cognition and prosocial behaviour among undergraduates in federal universities in South-east, and a very high positive relationship between social adjustment and prosocial behaviour among undergraduates in federal universities in South-east. The findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between social cognition and prosocial behaviour among undergraduates in federal universities in South-east. Also the findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between social adjustment and prosocial behaviour among undergraduates in federal universities in South-east, Nigeria.
 Conclusion: Professional psychologist in collaboration with universities should develop psychological programmes tailored towards behaviours and undergraduates engaging in them.

Особливості прояву соціально-психологічних чинників становлення професійної самосвідомості студентів

The article presents the results of an empirical study of the peculiarities of the manifestation of the factors of the formation of professional self-awareness of psychology students. The changes in the structure of the professional self-awareness of future psychologists are revealed and analyzed, the results of the study of the internal socio-psychological factors of its formation in the dynamics of professional training are characterized. On the basis of the conducted empirical research, it was established that the leading internal factors in the formation of professional self-awareness of future psychologists are their self-image and the motivation of educational and professional activities. On the basis of the conducted empirical research, it was established that the leading external factors in the formation of professional self-awareness are the professional profile of a psychologist, mentoring of teachers, and examples of professional activity. The majority of surveyed students perceive teachers as educational partners and models of a professional psychologist, however, a third of the respondents do not recognize the support of teachers in their professional development.

Psychological care for men with a deviant sexual needs

The sexual drive of men towards children and prepubescents is a public health problem. Thus, this paper aims to discuss the psychological care aimed at men, with deviant sexual wish from a pedophilic disorder, to expand their knowledge in relation to psychological practice in the mediation of subjective components in the practice of empathic clinical care. The method used in this research assumes the qualitative character of a literature review. The complexity of the pedophilic disorder to clinical intervention, associated with social stigma and ignorance, makes clinical treatment difficult for some psychology and health professionals. Psychotherapeutic treatment should be associated with psychiatric/drug treatment, whenever necessary. The psychological reception is a very important factor for creating the bond and dialogic process for conducting psychotherapy. In this way, the client can reflect on their desires, actions and develop more satisfying ways of relating without directed violence or intense psychological suffering.

The challenges in the process of providing support to women victims of violence

Violence against women is seen as a multi-causal phenomenon that has its origin in relations of power and submission. Today, violence is considered a serious public health problem and with that, we need health professionals, in the case of the present research, psychology, an effective, humanized and empathic intervention and reception. This research had as general objective to analyze the curricular formation of the professional of psychology, inserted in the public services of attention to health, in relation to the integral attendance to the woman victim of violence. A qualitative research was carried out, as data collection methods we used the semi-structured interview, while for data analysis, content analysis was used. Six women psychology professionals from the health care network in the region of Cariri Ceará and the backlands of Pernambuco participated in the research. As a final result, we observed the absence, in the psychology training curricula, of the theme violence against women, a fact that contributes to the difficulty of professional practice.

Expected areas of impact of the disciplines medicine, psychology and physiotherapy in pain treatment : A survey among members of the professions

Interdisciplinary multimodal pain treatment (IMPT) is an essential element in the treatment of people with chronic pain. Although IMST is defined in terms of content, it is evident that its practical design is very heterogeneous. This refers not only to the composition of the contents of the treatment but also to the concrete distribution of tasks among the professions involved. This article deals with the attribution of the effect of the activities of the three professional groups involved in IMPT: medicine, psychology and physiotherapy. The aim of this work is to examine how the professions of medicine, psychology and physiotherapy assess the effectiveness of their work and the effectiveness of the other two disciplines in the care of chronic pain patients. Anewly designed questionnaire with 19items was used. Each item describes apossible effect that treatment by the professions of medicine, psychology and physiotherapy can have. Based on factor analysis, items were combined for which the three effect attributions had the same items. The restriction to factor analysis areas was intended to avoid redundancies in the presentation and interpretation of results. The evaluation was carried out by means of avariance analysis for the impact areas with the factors "profession" and "attribution of impact". Atotal of 233participants from the 3 disciplines (medicine, n = 78; psychology, n = 76; physiotherapy, n = 79) answered the questionnaire. The three areas of effect "pain reduction", "strength and movement" and "functional pain coping" could be identified by factor analysis. The impact areas attributed to the different professions are largely reflected in the participants' answers. The variance analysis revealed significant main effects for the two factors "profession" and "attribution of impact" and for their interactions. Professionals in medicine, psychology and physiotherapy have clear expectations of their own and the other professions mentioned here with respect to their effectiveness in certain areas of change. Overall, the three professions agree in their assessment of the contribution of medicine, psychology and physiotherapy to the areas of pain reduction, gain in strength and movement and functional pain coping.

Are parents ready to be parents?

Angelica Celinska, lecturer and trainer, gives us an insight into her conversation around parenting with Matt Sanders, professor of clinical psychology. They discuss incidental teaching, supporting parental self-regulation, the stigma associated with parenting programmes and the role which educators play in all of this.

The Cultural Psyche: The Selected Papers of Robert A. LeVine on Psychosocial Science. DineshSharma, editor. North Carolina: Information Age Press. 2021. xix + 379 pp.

EthosVolume 51, Issue 2 BOOK REVIEW The Cultural Psyche: The Selected Papers of Robert A. LeVine on Psychosocial Science. Dinesh Sharma, editor. North Carolina: Information Age Press. 2021. xix + 379 pp. Joan G. Miller, Corresponding Author Joan G. Miller [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0001-6458-4402 Correspondence Joan G. Miller, Professor of Psychology; Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology, The New School University, 80 Fifth Avenue, New York, NYC. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Joan G. Miller, Corresponding Author Joan G. Miller [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0001-6458-4402 Correspondence Joan G. Miller, Professor of Psychology; Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology, The New School University, 80 Fifth Avenue, New York, NYC. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 20 June 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/etho.12395Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume51, Issue2June 2023 RelatedInformation

Mecanismele de coping – predictori ai dezirabilității răspunsurilor în cadrul examinării psihologice

The most serious problems faced by professional psychologists in psychological examinations when applying questionnaires / personality inventories are those of cre ating a favorable impression by distorting the answers. Through this research, we aim at studying the impact of coping mechanisms, both by predicting a dependent variable (good impression) through several independent variables (coping mechanisms), and by formulating the equation of prediction, which can be used in the framework of psychological examinations in the organizational environment, in the framework of personnel selection as well as in periodic psychological evaluations. The group of subjects consists of 260 adults, non-clinical population from Romania, aged between 22-65 years, and following the multiple linear regression, a number of 7 predictors are retained: 3 cognitive-emotional coping mechanisms (positive reappraisal, rumination and culpability) and 4 behavioral coping mechanisms (instinctual action, relationship, aggression, support) in predicting the desirability of answers in the psychological examination.