Psychology Graduate Research Articles

School psychology graduate students' perspectives on multicultural training and program environment

AbstractSchool psychology training programs are vital to promoting culturally responsive and equity‐centered practices. However, research on multicultural training in school psychology tends to be based on faculty reports, often excluding graduate students' perspectives. The present investigation sought to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of multicultural training in school psychology. A sample of 108 graduate students completed the Multicultural Environmental Inventory‐Revised and a training experiences questionnaire to explore their perspectives on the models and methods used for school psychology multicultural training, perceptions of their program's multicultural environment, and the extent to which these perceptions are associated with programs' multicultural training offerings. Results indicate that almost all participants reported that their programs provided multicultural training. However, there was limited discussion of diversity regarding age, gender identity, national origin, and religion, and of social justice topics. Additionally, there were differences in perceptions of multicultural program environment by race, sexual orientation, and political ideology. Findings of this study suggest that programs should emphasize social justice and skills‐based instruction and create program environments that support the development of cultural competence. Recommendations for enhancing multicultural training and creating inclusive program environments are provided.

William M. Reynolds (1951-2024).

Memorializes William M. Reynolds (1951-2024). "Bill" served as director of the graduate program in school psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and held appointments as principal investigator at the Waisman Center on Mental Retardation and Human Development and as discipline chief of Psychology of the University Affiliated Program at the Waisman Center. He developed the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale and the Reynolds Childhood Depression Scale, which are widely used both clinically and in research. Bill held a professorship at the University of British Columbia (1991-2000), serving as director of the School Psychology graduate program. In 2000, Dr. Reynolds returned to California as professor of Psychology at Cal Poly Humboldt. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Improving Grief Counseling: Enhancing the Education and Confidence of Psychology Graduate Students

Most therapists do not receive formal graduate training in grief counseling and may rely on outdated knowledge and questionable skills when working with grieving clients (Dodd et al., 2022; Jankauskaite et al., 2021). This study aimed to develop a virtual intervention to educate psychology graduate students about grief counseling and evaluate whether this training can increase knowledge in grief and grief counseling and self-efficacy in working with grieving individuals. This mixed-methods study compared participants in three conditions (full video intervention, partial video intervention, and control). When controlling for prior grief counseling training and experience, those randomized to the full video intervention had higher grief and grief counseling knowledge and self-efficacy in working with bereaved individuals than those in the partial intervention and control groups. Further, qualitative results highlighted the assessment and treatment approaches that therapists-in-training would use with a bereaved client across conditions. Overall, the full intervention is a feasible and efficacious way to teach psychology doctoral students about grief counseling and increase their confidence in working with bereaved clients. Future research considerations and recommendations are discussed.

Understanding depression and anxiety rates of school psychology graduate students.

School psychology graduate students experience many risk factors for problems with mental health, including high workloads, financial distress, and challenging relationships with faculty that can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and depression. Although there have been studies that have investigated depression and anxiety amongst graduate students in general (Eisenberg et al., 2007) and health service psychology students in particular (Hobaica et al., 2021), there are reasons to believe that school psychology graduate students may have different experiences. To date, no research has been found investigating the depression and anxiety symptoms of graduate students in school psychology programs. A survey was sent to 194 school psychology training programs, and 291 graduate students completed it. Approximately one in four graduate students reported moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms, while one in three reported moderate to severe levels of anxiety symptoms. These symptoms were significantly higher in graduate students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and more identities, women, or reported being from a lower socioeconomic background. There were no differences in depression or anxiety symptoms between the type of program (i.e., doctoral or specialist) or years in program. Implications for trainers of school psychology are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Wellness as an Ethical Mandate: Examining the Mental Health, Stress, and Self-Care Practices of School Psychology Graduate Students

Previous literature has found that psychology graduate students experience clinically significant rates of mental health problems. Self-care practices at the individual and program level may help to mitigate these outcomes and benefit student wellbeing. However, minimal research exists about the mental health and self-care practices of school psychology graduate students. The current study examined prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and stress in a sample of school psychology students (N = 202) as well as self-care utilization and perceptions of programmatic self-care emphasis. Results indicated that most participants reported clinically significant rates of stress, depression, and/or anxiety. In contrast to prior findings, participants who identified with minoritized identities did not report significantly different rates of mental health outcomes. Correlational analyses revealed significant negative relationships between participants’ self-care utilization and mental health outcomes, and between perceived programmatic emphasis on self-care and participants’ mental health outcomes. Coding of open-ended survey responses identified barriers to and facilitators of participants’ self-care and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participants’ mental health. Findings highlight that school psychology students face significant threats to their mental health throughout training and indicate that encouraging self-care practices may support student wellbeing. Implications for training and future research are discussed. Impact Statement This study found that most of the school psychology graduate student sample reported clinically significant levels of stress, depression, and anxiety and that rates did not differ significantly across student subgroups. Additionally, results indicated individual use of self-care strategies as well as a broader emphasis on implementation of self-care across programs were positively related to students’ wellbeing. Barriers and facilitators of self-care services, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, were also explored. The results of this study contribute to our knowledge of school psychology graduate trainees’ experiences of stress and mental health challenges during their training, as well as offer practical steps for graduate programs to implement wellbeing supports desired by their students.

Preparing future psychologists to develop motivational systems

This study aimed to investigate the process of developing motivational systems in aesthetic medicine, as undertaken by future psychology graduates. The methodology involved a combination of modelling and experimentation methods in medical clinics, where the effectiveness of motivational systems created by trainees was tested and evaluated. The research combined theoretical knowledge with practical application, enabling a detailed analysis of how motivational systems can be effectively designed and implemented by future specialists in psychology. The key findings demonstrated that practical involvement in real-world settings, such as medical clinics, significantly enhances trainees’ understanding and ability to develop effective motivational systems. The study revealed that integrating practical experience with a professional environment provides valuable insights that a purely theoretical approach cannot offer. The study confirmed that real-world experience in medical clinics helps future psychologists better understand the specific needs and challenges involved in developing motivational systems. Practical training in such settings allows theoretical knowledge to be adapted to real-life situations, significantly improving the effectiveness of the motivational systems created. Future psychologists who had the opportunity to work in clinics demonstrated a high level of skill in addressing practical tasks related to staff motivation, highlighting the substantial contribution of hands-on experience to their training. The research emphasised the importance of integrating practical experience with theoretical instruction in the education of future psychologists, particularly in the context of developing and implementing motivational systems. Educators can utilise the findings to enhance training programmes and approaches to preparing future specialists, especially in the development of specialised courses and training in motivational counselling

Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in School Psychology Science and Scholarship: Changing Training and Practice in the Field of School Psychology

The intentional and sustained actions to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in school psychology science and scholarship, will have reciprocal and dynamic influences on graduate preparation and practice. Herein, the School Psychology Review leadership team provides reflections on several of our intentional efforts, to date, to advocate for and advance DEI in school psychology scholarship, and the associated implications for graduate preparation and practice. Contemporary actions of the School Psychology Review leadership team have included; (a) establishing commitments to advocating for and advancing DEI as the foundation of our scholarship; (b) diversifying journal leadership and editorial board members to reflect the diverse student body school psychologists serve; (c) preparing future diverse journal leadership through mentored editorial fellowship programs, and a student editorial board with members from diverse backgrounds; (d) featuring special topics relevant to further understanding and supporting diverse and minoritized children, youth, families, and school communities; (e) providing professional-development opportunities and resources; (f) implementation of Open Science opportunities in the journal, (g) implementing triple anonymous peer review to reduce bias, and (h) implementing a journal action plan focused on advancing DEI. Collectively these efforts are aimed to influence positive change in advancing and sustaining DEI efforts in school psychology science, scholarship, graduate preparation and practice.

Clinical psychology graduate programs: Falling short in cultural humility training.

Clinical psychology graduate programs: Falling short in cultural humility training.

Financial informed consent reduces undergraduate students’ interest in graduate psychology education.

Financial informed consent reduces undergraduate students’ interest in graduate psychology education.

Providing EBP Training in Graduate School to Strengthen the School Mental Health Workforce: A Pilot

ABSTRACT Offering mental health (MH) care in schools may help youth overcome barriers to accessing services. However, the diverse school MH workforce receives disparate training in evidence-based practice (EBP) across disciplines. Many implementation efforts focus on training independently practicing providers; however, strengthening EBP training during graduate school may have wide-reaching benefits for graduate students and the students they will serve in schools. The TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) implementation program partnered with a school psychology graduate program for a quality improvement project to examine the feasibility and proximal, training-level outcomes of offering TRAILS EBP training to school MH graduate students. Specifically, a graduate instructor was trained to provide clinical and implementation support to graduate students (n = 12) in delivering transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) skills to 3rd-12th grade students (n = 33). A mixed methods approach including interviews, focus groups, and surveys, revealed that those participating in this program (1 graduate instructor, 13 graduate students, and 4 supporting school-based MH professionals) found the training to be acceptable. Graduate student knowledge of and attitudes toward CBT improved significantly (p < .001) from pre-training to the end of the semester. Qualitative interviews revealed several graduate student-specific implementation barriers and facilitators, which should be considered when further developing TRAILS implementation support to graduate programs, and may be of interest to other implementation and training programs as well. This quality improvement project will inform the refinement of embedding TRAILS training during graduate school, supporting broader community access to EBP.

Supplemental Material for Financial Informed Consent Reduces Undergraduate Students’ Interest in Graduate Psychology Education

Supplemental Material for Financial Informed Consent Reduces Undergraduate Students’ Interest in Graduate Psychology Education

Dissociation training and symptom identification accuracy among Australian psychologists.

Dissociation is a common but underrecognized sequelae of trauma exposure. We investigated Australian psychologists' training in dissociation, assessment practices, and accuracy in identifying dissociation symptoms. Participants in this cross-sectional study of Australian psychologists (N = 280) were recruited through publicly available email addresses, graduate psychology programs, and social media. Participants estimated the percentages of their clients who had experienced trauma and had dissociative symptoms, their confidence in assessing and treating trauma and dissociation, their training in trauma and dissociation, and their dissociation screening practices. Participants were also asked to identify dissociation symptoms (per the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II and Somatic Dissociation Questionnaire-5) from a list of trauma-related symptoms. Although 99% of participants reported treating trauma-exposed clients, only 59.6% and 41.1% reported formal training in trauma or dissociation during their psychology qualification, respectively. One in five participants correctly identified all psychoform and somatoform symptoms as dissociation. Accurately identifying psychoform dissociation symptoms was associated with confidence in treating dissociation (p = .048) and having informal peer consultation on dissociation (p = .032). Accurately identifying somatoform dissociation was associated with confidence assessing (p = .006) and treating (p = .009) dissociation and having completed professional development on dissociation (p = .047). Most psychologists demonstrated inaccuracies in their knowledge of dissociation, which raises concern that dissociation may not be recognized in clinical practice and thus go untreated. Training on dissociation should be incorporated into psychology curricula, particularly at the graduate level, and accessible, cost-effective professional development programs for practicing clinicians are needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

(073) WOMEN'S SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION TRAINING MODULE INCREASES SCREENING COMFORT

Abstract Introduction Sexual dysfunction in women affects approximately 40% of patients, however, many providers fail to screen for it. The continual lack of screening presents limited opportunities for healthcare trainees to observe, learn and master this skill. Approximately half of medical students feel inadequately prepared to discuss these diagnoses with patients. For this reason, experts advocated a multidisciplinary, longitudinal sexual health education approach to address the exposure of women’s sexual health in the clinical setting. In order to address this issue, our institution created a module focusing on sexual dysfunction in women to educate healthcare students on screening, assessment and baseline treatment for the most common dysfunction, hypoactive sexual desire disorder or decreased libido. This module was created by a gynecologist and reviewed by professors in the psychology department and graduate nursing school. Additionally, it was approved by the medical school for use. It simulates a clinical rotation to emphasize screening for sexual dysfunction in women and baseline evaluation of decreased libido using a biopsychosocial model. Objective The primary aim of this study is to evaluate changes in students’ comfort level who screen for women’s sexual dysfunctions after completion of the Female Sexual Dysfunction Module. Additionally, we aim to assess the over baseline level of comfort in screening and determine if knowledge about when to screen is gained through the module. Methods This study was IRB approved. US medical students and graduate nursing students were approached via email to complete demographic information, a pre-survey, module, and post-survey. In the redcap survey, participants were asked to identify scenarios appropriate to broach the subject of a patient's sexual functioning. Additionally, they were asked to rate their comfort level asking patients about sexual desire, dyspareunia, and anorgasmia as well as general knowledge-based questions about sexual dysfunction in women. Results This study surveyed 425 medical students and nursing students from over 70 institutions across the US. Compared to their pre-module response, more respondents felt it was appropriate to query patients about their sexual functioning following the module (all p &amp;lt; .05). Respondents were also far more comfortable asking patients about their sexual health after the module compared to pre-module responses (all p &amp;lt; .05). Compared to their pre-module response, more respondents correctly identified the components of the linear female sexual response cycle created by Masters and Johnson (24.8% versus 61.6%; p &amp;lt; .001), and more respondents identified the components of the Plisst screening model (6.3% versus 53.7%; p &amp;lt; .001). Conclusions This nationwide study demonstrates our module provides statistical improvement in students’ comfort level when screening for female sexual dysfunction. It agrees with previous studies in terms of healthcare trainees’ overall lower baseline aptitude with this diagnosis and shows that this module statistically increases knowledge These results support using interactive modules in healthcare training curricula in order to standardize training. It can be especially helpful for schools where clinical exposure to this diagnosis is sparse. To further elucidate the most efficacious method of teaching, this study recommends future directions to assess the various models of sexual medicine education. Disclosure No.

Each one, teach one: Critical history as counterstories, antiracist affordances, and cues for belonging.

Recently, there have been several calls for psychologists to dismantle systemic racism within the field (e.g., Buchanan et al., 2021; Dupree & Boykin, 2021; Wilcox et al., 2022). In this article, we discuss why incorporating critical histories into psychology curricula can be beneficial to this effort. We focus on three potential pathways: critical histories provide counterstories that challenge racist narratives, critical histories promote contexts that encourage antiracism practices (antiracist affordances), and critical histories can signal identity safety and belonging. To adequately integrate critical histories into psychology curricula, we make three recommendations. First, create and support a departmental curriculum that engages critical histories in the field of psychology at the undergraduate and graduate level (we offer some example topics and readings). Second, based on our own training experiences, we recommend that psychology graduate programs facilitate opportunities to take interdisciplinary courses that cover the history of race and racism in domestic and/or global contexts. Finally, we recommend funding research and supporting student projects that produce critical histories in psychology to expand the knowledge base of our field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Newly graduated Australian psychologists’ interest and confidence in psychological approaches for psychosis: what role can psychology training providers play in increasing access to psychological interventions for psychosis?

ABSTRACT Objective Despite recommendations in international guidelines, implementation of psychological therapy for psychosis is limited. Clinician level factors (i.e. attitudes, confidence, and training) are significant barriers to implementation, but have not been investigated within the context of Australian professional psychology graduates. The current study aimed to examine predictors of interest and confidence in working therapeutically with people with psychosis in recent graduates of Australian psychology postgraduate training courses. Method An online survey was completed by 108 recent graduates from Australian postgraduate psychology courses. Participants provided data on hours of training, practicum experience, stigma, therapeutic optimism and levels of interest and confidence in working therapeutically with people with psychosis. Results Participants reported low levels of training and practical experience in psychological therapy for psychosis. Participants with higher training hours and who had delivered an intervention to someone with psychosis during training reported significantly more confidence in their ability to work with people experiencing psychosis. However, stigma was the only significant predictor of interest; psychologists with higher stigmatised attitudes were less interested in working with psychosis. Conclusions Increased opportunities for practicum experience with people with psychosis and interventions that address stigma in professional psychology training may support increased interest and confidence in providing psychological interventions for psychosis.

Birth timing: supporting female graduate students

ABSTRACT Women seeking higher education frequently do so during peak childbearing years and women with higher levels of education are more likely to postpone motherhood until a later age. Fertility rate, defined as the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime, has decreased globally. The decrease in birthrate has been partially attributed to women seeking educational opportunities. Understanding the experience of students in this realm would allow higher education institutions to better support students who are (or wish to be) mothers. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of research examining graduate women and the factors involved in their consideration of having a child while in school. We seek to fill this gap by examining the impact of fertility concerns (FC) and importance of on-time degree completion (DC) on the probability of having a biological child in graduate school (PC) among 469 female graduate psychology students in the USA. We found higher FC was associated with higher PC. In contrast, higher DC was associated with lower PC. Furthermore, FC had a significant unique relation to PC after accounting for the contribution of DC. We discuss how institutions and programs may help support and empower female graduate students by implementing educational policies and procedures that are supportive of graduate student mothers. This is particularly important because a large proportion of women pursue advanced degrees, and this number is projected to increase.

The Relationship Between Self-Care Behaviors and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in School Psychology Graduate Students

The Relationship Between Self-Care Behaviors and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in School Psychology Graduate Students

Moving School Psychology Beyond the Clouds of Injustice: A Blue Sky Discussion

This paper based on the opening address for the 2023–2024 School Psychology Futures Conference, reflects on contemporary inequities in school psychology practice, research, and graduate education. Challenges as the profession reckons with its oppressive past are highlighted. Drawing on concepts from liberation psychology, critical school psychology, and the psychology of radical healing, the author presents a vision for school psychology’s reimagined future with steps that can be executed across all levels (e.g., practice, research, graduate education, advocacy and leadership). In order to imagine a new future for school psychology, we must not repeat the mistakes of our past and instead demonstrate cultural humility, center marginalized communities, and embrace anti-oppressive and liberatory approaches. This will allow school psychology to meet its potential and become a profession that effectively serves ALL children and youth. Impact Statement The 2023–2024 School Psychology Futures Conference had an intentional focus on examining school psychology from a social justice lens. This article critically examines contemporary and historical inequities in school psychology to identify mistakes of the past and applies concepts from liberation psychology, critical school psychology, and the psychology of radical healing to describe a more just future for the profession.

Refugee school consultation effects on teacher self-efficacy, self-care, and peer consultation skills.

Guided by a participatory culture-specific consultation model, this study contributes to an understanding of the effectiveness of school consultation with teachers of refugee students. The goal of the present study was to determine the impact of an individual consultation intervention with refugee teachers on their self-efficacy and self-care, in addition to their peer consultation skills. The participants were 109 teachers at refugee schools in Malaysia, most of whom were refugees (91% refugees; 73% female). Of the 109 participants, 84 teachers were coconsultants with psychology graduate students; all 109 were individual consultees. The study used a two-timepoint design with the outcomes of self-reported teacher self-care; teacher self-efficacy in the management of refugee student emotion regulation and emotional engagement; and consultation skills. Additionally, consultee-reported goal attainment, consultation effectiveness, and satisfaction were collected. The findings suggested significant latent growth from baseline to post-intervention in refugee teacher self-care and self-efficacy in the management of student emotion regulation and emotional engagement in addition to the growth of their consultation skills. The effect sizes were large for latent growth of teacher self-efficacy in promoting student emotion regulation, behavior, and emotional engagement (d = 1.19, 1.01, 1.02); the effect size for self-care was medium (d = .62). Growth was not dependent on dosage, age, gender, or consultee education, with the exception of teacher self-efficacy in management of emotional engagement which was dependent on dosage. After the intervention, the consultees reported that they completed their consultation goals at a higher level than expected, were satisfied with the consultation, and found the consultants to be helpful. The discussion situates the findings in relevant theory, research, and the culture-specific context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Availability and Perceived Importance of High-Impact Practices for Psychology Graduate Program Admission

Background: Participation in high-impact practices (HIPs) is related to student success and development. Less is known about whether HIPs can increase students’ chances of getting into graduate school in psychology. High-impact practice participation might be one strategy for students to stand out in the competitive graduate school admission process. Objective: We examined (a) the perceived availability of HIPs and (b) the perceived role that HIP participation plays in psychology graduate program admission success. Method: A total of 81 U.S. psychology professors who are involved in graduate program admission decisions rated the availability, importance, and influence of HIPs and non-HIPs (e.g., GPA) on psychology graduate program admission success. Results: Many HIPs are widely available. Of all HIPs, only undergraduate research was rated as very important and strongly increases admission chances. Participation in honors, writing-intensive courses, and applied experiences slightly increased admission chances. Conclusion: Research continues to be the most beneficial HIP when applying to graduate programs in psychology. Non-HIPs (e.g., grades, letters of recommendation) are more important in graduate program admission than most HIPs. Teaching Implications: Students, academic advisors, and faculty mentors can use the results of this study to align students’ HIP participation with postgraduation goals.