Clinical psychology

The Clinical Psychology is considered a sub-discipline of applied psychology, the biological, social, developmental and behavioral as well as cognitive and emotional bases of mental disorders, and the effects of these disorders and other conditions (eg, neurological disorders, cancer, chronic heart disease and much more. ) On experience and behavior studied scientifically. Originally it was the psychological methods of diagnosis and treatment, to the extent they are applicable in the context of the clinic or hospital treatment - to the work of psychologists in hospitals and special education facilities. For clinical psychology include medical psychology and neuropsychology.

Topics of Clinical Psychology

Whenever internal ( mental or somatic ) or external ( environmental, social and so on ) affect disorders on individuals, groups or systems, the clinical psychology with scientific methods and findings, the cause- effect relationships, effect conditions and their impact on examine the experience and behavior. She describes this eg in the form of diagnoses, in order to derive statements in the scientific process, to make predictions ( scientifically informed forecasts) and to develop possible courses of action ( intervention ). These interventions are used application-oriented, in practice, ideally taking into account other clinical diagnoses.

Especially in Clinical Psychology form psychological research (especially in scientific orientation), evaluation, scientifically sound and evidence- based approach with the practical application of a unit. The training as well as practical clinical psychological professional activity follows the scientist - practitioner model. Therefore, the clinical psychology is not a purely practical psychology that serves only or primarily for diagnosis and treatment. Even in Clinical Psychology controlled laboratory experiments take a central role in the process of gaining knowledge, however, be due to their distance from reality, that is, lack of external validity increasingly criticized (eg, Seligman, 1995).

Especially in Germany the Clinical Psychology is defined very broadly, as for example an independent branch of Counselling Psychology does not exist.

The study of mental disorders ( eng. " Abnormal Psychology " ) is also only a branch of clinical psychology. Clinical psychology includes theoretical foundations, methods and systems for the diagnosis and classification (ICD -10, DSM -IV) mental disorders, for their psychological or psychotherapeutic treatment, for prevention and rehabilitation. It overlaps with many other applied branches of psychology and psychiatry. It is rooted in all aspects of the methods and disciplines of basic disciplines. Therefore, a thorough, comprehensive, scientific training is in psychology indispensable prerequisite for the study of clinical psychology.

Primary clinical psychology, however, is basic research, by providing for the exploration of " degraded " experience and behavior to draw conclusions about "normal" mental functional areas. She also studied in the context of applied research into the causes and effect relationships of disturbed functional areas (eg, impaired information processing, especially in the presence of certain diseases, such as anxiety disorders ) and explored in the context basics about the formation of (bio - psycho- social model: diathesis - stress model ), symptoms and maintenance of mental disorders or psychiatric disorders ( such as depression). From the research results, opportunities to develop methods to change, which in turn are then subject of research in clinical psychology arise. In this respect, clinical psychology, in addition to psychotherapy in the form of training ( psycho-educational training, etc. ), consulting and training of family members and so on provide psychological assistance. It overlaps here with the psychological assessment and intervention and is complemented by this. The general psychological assessment (particularly personality and performance diagnostics ) and of course in particular the clinical psychological diagnosis ( ICD -10, DSM -IV) as part including evaluation and assessment for the task field of clinical psychology as the evidence-based treatment planning, therapy evaluation, and the quality management. Another very important area of ​​research in Clinical Psychology is the epidemiology.

A special field of clinical psychology is the Clinical Neuropsychology, dealing with impairment-based states and changes in the central nervous system and the resulting perturbed functional areas.

The specialty of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, as well as, for example, the clinical-psychological family counseling and therapy are very different from systemic or psychoanalytic directions.

The Clinical Psychology overlaps with the health psychology, and the social determinants of disease and stress dealing with social issues for effective prevention, gesundheitsförderlichem behavior ( also in relation to mental health ). In many cases, but this is also classified as part of the field of clinical psychology.

Other points of intersection exist eg for labor & organizational psychology, as it relates to stress about complications, effects of shift work, trauma in certain occupational groups ( emergency medical services, fire, military, police ).

While the Clinical Psychology is a part of psychology, as part of the thematic equivalent, but in important respects different from the clinical psychology discipline of psychiatry, as well as psychosomatic medicine to medicine.

Education in Austria

In Austria the training of clinical psychologists / clinical psychologist and for the health psychologist / health psychologist is regulated by law. In addition to 1480 practice hours 120 hours of supervision and 160 hours of theory must be completed at recognized institutions and professionals. Provider of the theoretical course must be approved by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health. This applies to the following facilities to (alphabetical order):

• Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt
• Association for Behavior Modification
• Professional Association of Austrian psychologists ( BÖP ): Austrian Academy of Psychology ( ÖAP )
• Society of critical psychologists
• Austrian Academy of Psychology ( AAP)
• ÖTZ - NLP
• University of Vienna

The practice hours must also be completed only in facilities that are recognized by the Austrian Ministry of Health. For the Supervision Clinical psychologists are to entrust that are active themselves as clinical psychologists for at least five years.