Health & Mental Health Personnel Issues

This area concerns the professional issues of psychologists and health personnel — training, ethics, licensure, roles, and the organization of practice.

Scope

It covers professional ethics and standards, education and credentialing, professional roles and impairment, and the regulation of psychological practice.

Sub-topics

• Professional Education & Training
• Professional Personnel Attitudes & Characteristics
• Professional Ethics & Standards & Liability
• Professional Impairment

Core questions

• What ethical principles govern psychological practice?
• How are psychologists trained and credentialed?
• What are the professional roles and responsibilities of psychologists?

Key concepts

• Professional ethics
• Competence
• Confidentiality
• Informed consent
• Licensure
• Training

Key theories

Professional ethics

The APA Ethical Principles set the standards of competence, integrity, and care governing psychologists' work.

History

As psychology professionalized, formal ethics codes (notably the APA's, first adopted in 1953 and repeatedly revised) and training and licensure standards came to govern practice.

Debates

How should the profession balance science and practice?

Debates over training models (e.g., scientist-practitioner) and the regulation of practice.

Key figures

• American Psychological Association

Seminal works

• apa-ethics-2017

Frequently asked questions

What does this area cover?

Professional and ethical issues for psychologists and health personnel — ethics, training, credentialing, and professional roles.