There is a need for information on the practice of clinical psychology in South Africa. The characteristics of clinical psychologists and the patients who consult them were discussed elsewhere. The present article deals with the practice preferences of clinical psychologists in South Africa. Results of a study indicated that the majority of clinical psychologists spent most of their time conducting psychotherapy. They expected this trend to escalate and diagnostic psychological testing to decline in the next decade following the survey. The psychotherapy was generally completed in less than 20 sessions. Respondents were predominantly eclectic in psychotherapeutic orientation but frequently used client-centred and behaviour therapy. Most were satisfied with the suitability of the psychological tests they used, with the exception of neuro-psychological tests. Intelligence and personality assessments were the most common psychometric procedures. The WAIS/SAWAIS was most commonly used to assess intelligence, the TAT to assess personality and the Bender Gestalt Test for neuropsychological evaluation. Findings are discussed with reference to related literature.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AvnetH.H. (1965). How effective is short-term therapy? Appraisals of mental health after short-term ambulatory psychiatric treatment. In WolbergL.R. (Ed.), Short-term psychotherapy.New York: Grune & Stratton.
2.
BassaF.M. (1982). An investigation into the practice of clinical psychology in South Africa. Unpublished master's dissertation, University of Durban-Westville, Durban.
3.
BassaF.M.SchlebuschL. (1984). Characteristics of clinical psychologists and the patients who consult them. Psychotherapeia and Psychiatry in Practice (in press).
BlumJ.D.RedlichF. (1980). Mental health practitoiners: Old stereotypes and new realities. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 1247–1253.
6.
BoschB.A.SchlebuschL. (1983). Clinical psychology in medicine: A model for brief psychotherapy. Paper presented at the First National Congress of the Psychological Association of South Africa, Pietermaritzburg.
7.
BoschB.A.SchlebuschL. (1984). The use of brief psychotherapy in a general hospital. Psychotherapeia and Psychiatry in Practice, 32, 27–35.
8.
BrownW.R.McGuireJ.M. (1976). Current psychological assessment practices. Professional Psychology, 11, 475–484.
9.
Du ToitS.I. (1976). Sielkundiges as psigoterapeute in Suid-Afrika. Paper presented at the Fifteenth Congress of the Psychological Institute of the Republic of South Africa, Stellenbosch.
10.
EagleG.MalcolmC. (1983). Training in community psychology in South Africa. Paper presented at the First National Congress of the Psychological Association of South Africa, Pietermaritzburg.
11.
GarfieldS.L. (1974). Clinical psychology. The study of personality and behavior.Chicago, Illinois: Aldine Publishing Co.
12.
GarfieldS.L.KurtzR. (1974). A survey of clinical psychologists: Characteristics, activities and orientations. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, 7–10.
13.
GarfieldS.L.KurtzR. (1976). Clinical psychologists in the 1970s. American Psychologist, 31, 1–9.
14.
HattinghJ.M. (1966). Kliniese sielkunde, professionalisme en eie identiteit. Suid-Afrikaanse Sielkundige, 53, 1–8.
15.
KellyE.L. (1961). Clinical psychology — 1960 — Report of survey findings. American Psychological Association, Division of Clinical Psychology Newsletter, 14, 1–11.
KriekJ.J. (1970). Die kliniese sielkunde — 'n oorsig.Pretoria: Van Schaik.
18.
LaubscherD.B. (1981). Neuropsigologiese evalueringstegnieke in die kinderleidingpraktyk in die RSA — 'n empiriese ondersoek. Paper presented at the First South African Neuropsychology Congress, Durban.
19.
LezakM.D. (1983). Neuropsychological assessment.New York: Oxford University Press.
20.
LourensP. (1981). The clinical psychologist: therapist or scientist-professional?Psychotherapeia, 7, 11–13.
21.
LubinR.WallisR.PaineC., (1971). Patterns of psychological test use in the United States: 1935–1969. Professional Psychology, 2, 70–74.
22.
MannJ.W.TysonG.A. (1976). More is nog 'n dag: The future of psychology, 1975–2035. South African Journal of Psychology, 6, 43–51.
23.
NormandW.C.FensterheimH.SchrenzelS. (1979). A systematic approach to brief therapy for patients from a low socioeconomic community. In GraysonH. (Ed.), Short-term approaches to psychotherapy.New York: Human Sciences Press.
24.
RapaportD.GillM.M.SchaferR. (1980). Diagnostic psychological testing. (Revised edition) HoltR. R. (Ed.). New York: International Universities Press.
25.
SchlebuschL. (1983a). Consultation-liaison clinical psychology in modern general hospital practice. South African Medical Journal, 64, 781–786.
26.
SchlebuschL. (1983b). The training of interns in medical psychology on a consultation-liaison service in a general hospital. Psychotherapeia, 28, 18–21.
27.
SchlebuschL.LuizH.A. (1984). Characteristics and post-hospital perceptions of patients refusing in-patient treatment in a South African general hospital psychiatric unit. Journal of General Hospital Psychiatry (in press).
28.
SeligmanE. (1979). Behavior therapy. In GraysonH. (Ed.), Short-term approaches to psychotherapy.New York: Human Sciences Press.
29.
South African Medical and Dental Council. (1979). Register of psychologists, Intern-psychologists, psycho-technicians and psychometrists for the Republic of South Africa.Pretoria: South African Medical & Dental Council.
30.
SteynD.P. (1973). Die gebruik van teoretiese konstrukte in die kliniese sielkunde. Monografieë van die Sielkundige lnstituut van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 129, 7–19.
31.
SundbergN.D. (1961). The practice of psychological testing in clinical services in the United States. American Psychologist, 16, 79–83.
32.
WadeT.C.BakerT.B.MortonT.L.BakerL.J. (1978). The status of psychological testing in clinical psychology: Relationships between test use, professional activities and orientations. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42, 3–10.
33.
WolbergL.R. (1965). The technique of short-term psychotherapy. In WolbergL.R. (Ed.), Short-term psychotherapy, New York: Grune & Stratton.
34.
ZimmermanI.L.Woo-SamJ.M. (1973). Clinical interpretation of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.New York: Grune & Stratton.
