Introduction to Clinical Psychology

• About half of mental disorders begin before age 14
• Worldwide 800,000 people commit suicide every year
• Worldwide hundreds of millions suffer from mental disorders
• Most mental disorders are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed
• Counseling Psychology:

  • Historically worked with less severe problems
  • Works in different settings than clinical psychologists
• School Psychology:

  • Training in both psychology and education
  • Works in diverse education-related settings
• Psychiatry:

  • Requires medical school training
  • Can prescribe medication
• Most early views concluded that demonic possession or evil spirits were the cause of mental illness
• Hippocrates may be the first to consider a "biopsychosocial approach" to mental illness, considering biological, psychological, and social factors
• Two ancient Greek philosophers, Hippocrates and Galen, classified personality types based on the 4 humors: choleric (yellow bile), melancholic (black bile), sanguine (blood), and phlegmatic (phlegm)
• St. Vincent de Paul emphasized natural forces and rejected witchcraft or satanic possession as causes of mental disturbances
• Philippe Pinel, a French reformer, introduced a more humane psychological approach to the care of psychiatric patients, known as moral therapy
• William Tuke, an English Quaker, founded the York Retreat for the care of the insane, emphasizing rural quiet retreats and individualized care
• Benjamin Rush, the "father of American psychiatry," believed mental illness is a disease of the mind and promoted moral therapy
• Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, developed a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue
• Early Clinical Psychology was primarily assessment-based
• Francis Galton in England and Wilhelm Wundt in Germany applied scientific principles to understanding normal and abnormal behavior
• James McKeen Cattell in the USA focused on research on intelligence and establishing psychology as a legitimate science
• Emil Kraepelin in Germany believed mental disorders had biological causes and worked on classifying symptoms into syndromes
• Alfred Binet in France invented the first practical IQ test, the Binet-Simon test, and introduced the concept of mental age
• Lewis Terman in the US created the Stanford-Binet IQ test based on Binet's work
• World War I led to the development of tests like the Army Alpha Test and Army Beta Test, recognizing clinical psychology as a sub-discipline of psychology
• Wechsler-Bellevue intelligence test in 1939 and projective tests like the Rorschach Inkblot test became prominent in clinical psychology
• World War II saw the development of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) by Starke Hathaway and a focus on reliability in testing
• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-III) published by APA in the 1980s focused on observable symptoms and reliability
• Sigmund Freud elaborated on the treatment of mental health issues, emphasizing the role of the unconscious and publishing "The Interpretation of Dreams" in 1900
• Lightner Witmer in the USA coined the term "clinical psychology" and opened a clinic to assess and remediate learning difficulties
• John Watson in the USA conducted the "Little Albert" experiment, demonstrating emotional reactions could be classically conditioned in people
• World War II increased the need for therapy with soldiers returning from war, leading to the development of the MMPI and a focus on statistics and test development
• The field of clinical psychology integrates science, theory, and practice to understand, predict, and alleviate maladjustment, disability, and discomfort, as well as to promote human adaptation, adjustment, and personal development
• Clinical psychology was introduced by Lightner Witmer when he founded the first psychological clinic at the University of Pennsylvania in 1896
• In the 1920s, the role of clinical psychologists was primarily assessment
• In the 1940s, due to the need for increased treatment services during World Wars I and II, many clinical psychologists adopted the role of psychotherapist
• APA (1991) defines Clinical Psychology as involving research, teaching, and services relevant to understanding, predicting, and alleviating various forms of maladjustment, disability, and discomfort in a wide range of client populations
• Clinical psychology emphasizes science, maladjustment, the individual, and helping
• Emphasis on Science:

  • Adheres to determinism and empiricism
• Emphasis on Maladjustment:

  • Focuses on understanding abnormal behavior and emotional suffering
• Emphasis on the Individual:

  • Uses research information gathered from groups to guide work with individuals
• Emphasis on Helping:

  • Clinical psychologists help people in psychological distress
  • Historically, helping was not the first emphasis of clinical psychology
• To become a licensed clinical psychologist, one must meet requirements such as education, experience, testing of competence, and demonstrating good character