| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 行為醫學研究所 === 91 === The objective of this research is to analyze the professionalization of the clinical psychologists in Taiwan. Four research methods were used: secondary data collection; in-depth interviews of ten clinical psychologists who played important roles in the professionalization of the clinical psychologists in Taiwan; participant observation of the professional activities and meetings of clinical psychologists; and a cross-national comparative method. The professionalization of the clinical psychologists in Taiwan was analyzed and compared with that of those in the u.s. From four aspects: clinical psychologists' workplace, work content, educational training, and professional jurisdiction.
This research showed that clinical psychologists in Taiwan are profesionalized under the shadow of psychiatry. They have close relationships with psychiatrists throughout the process of their professionalization. The majority of them work as part of the psychiatric team whose leader is a psychiatrist. Their major clients are patients with psychiatric disorders. In a great contrast, the clients of clinical psychologists in the u.s. Were the students with learning disability at the very beginning of the development of the clinical psychology as a profession. Throughout the history of the professionalization of clinical psychologists in the U.S., the profession's jurisdiction has been expanding, covering the behavior problems of adolescents, psychological testing, the psychological problems of soldiers, the psychiatric disorders, psychological consultation in industries, community mental health, and health psychology.
The clinical psychologists in the U.S. own a much wider jurisdiction than those in Taiwan. They are almost equals to psychiatrists in their levels of status and power. In a great contrast, most clinical psychologists in Taiwan work in the arena of psychiatry. The first founder of clinical psychologists is a psychiatrist and from then on, the core of professional development of clinical psychologists in Taiwan has been embedded in the field of psychiatry. Furthermore, the government and health insurance policy-makers in Taiwan consider the clinical psychologist as merely a member of the psychiatric team without his/her own professional identity. Conversely, the profession of clinical psychology in the U.S. is based on a well-developed foundation of psychological knowledge. The general public recognizes the importance of clinical psychology. The government provided great support to the profession and the health insurance plan offers coverage of the services provided by clinical psychologists.
The research of the professionalization of clinical psychologists is important because the issue of professionalization is an important aspect of social science, and the clinical psychologist is an important member in the provision of mental health services. Based on the theory of professionalization and using qualitative research methods, this research analyzed the unique professionalization of clinical psychologists in Taiwan and compared to that of those in the u.s. On the basis of the major findings of this research, some suggestions for policy-making and further research were made.
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