25 january 2017

1.) Why is there confusion around the figure of the General Health Psychologist? Differences between a General Health Psychologist and a Specialist in Clinical Psychology.

Since the passing of the General Law of Public Health (33/2011), two figures of psychologists coexist with competence in the health field: the Specialist in Clinical Psychology, trained through the system of Resident Internal Psychologist (PIR), and the General Health Psychologist, trained through the Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology (PGS).

This creates some confusion, mainly coming from the different labour fields where the future professionals can exercise their activity. The competencies of the specialist are contained in the Law on the Organisation of Health Professions (LOPS) and in the Order SAS 1620/2009 where the training programme of the Specialist in Clinical Psychology is defined; and the competences of PGS are contained in the General Law of Public Health. Thus, Clinical Psychologists make diagnosis and treatment for mental disorders, while General Health Psychologists make the evaluation, prevention and treatment of aspects that influence on the general aspect of health (including mental health), whenever such activities do not require attention on the part of other health professionals.

General Health Psychologists make the evaluation, prevention and treatment of aspects that influence on the general aspect of health

To access both trainings it is necessary to be graduated in Psychology, but to access the Master’s Degree it is also necessary to have taken 90 health credits. The master’s degree has a duration of two years of university training, while PIR has a duration of 4 years and its training is inpatient and outpatient in the public circuit of mental health.

To access both trainings it is necessary to be graduated in Psychology, but to access the Master’s Degree it is also necessary to have taken 90 health credits

To access to General Health Psychologist it is necessary to take the Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology and for a psychologist specialised in Clinical Psychology it is necessary to sit public examinations.

2.) Which training pathway should follow the current Psychology students who want to exercise in the health field in a near future? Must they study the Official Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology to be able of exercising?

Yes, they must. They have to study that Master’s Degree if they want to be prepared to exercise psychology in the health sector. A preparation of only four years, which is what the Undergraduate Degree offers, is not legal to be able of exercising as a psychologist.

Before the passed legislation in 2011, the situation was that they were required to study the PIR. Thus, there only were available around 100 places throughout Spain to be able to exercise Psychology in the health field. Now, the situation has significantly improved. Each year there are hundreds of places in the university master’s degree of General Health Psychology, and a generalist health profession of psychologist has been regulated, which consolidates its action in this field, thus legally guaranteeing the functions that are exercised in the private sector.

3.) So, there will only be specialists in Clinical Psychology in the public health system?

The General Law of Public Health indicates the limitations of the professional exercise of General Health Psychologists in the public and private subsidised systems. Therefore, it does not specifically bar any aassistance activity of General Health Psychologists in this field if they try to provide attentions that are not included in the services portfolio. Nevertheless, it is evident that the places for specialists that the Spanish National Health System creates could only be occupied by psychologists that hold the qualification of specialist in Clinical Psychology.

The Spanish National Health System has a training system for its professionals: health training specialised in residency. In the health field, the Universitat trains generalists and, each year, the calls for places are announced (MIR, PIR...) to which these generalist graduates can attend.

The Spanish National Health System has a training system for its professionals: health training specialised in residency

If they get a place, they start a four-year period training in which they rotate through different centres of the Spanish National Health System, in which they professionally exercise –under supervision– at the same time that they are trained as specialists. When finishing this residency period, if they have successfully carried it out, the professional obtains the official qualification as a specialist. After that, these specialists are hired by the public system in places that require those qualifications.

4.) Which are the competencies of General Health Psychologists and how it is different from the Specialist in Clinical Psychology? Also, how it is different from someone who only holds the Undergraduate Degree qualification?

The Degree in Psychology is the training basic level that enables to exercise as a psychologist in Spain, and by itself it has no recognition as health profession. Therefore, it is the base to develop all the psychological professional competences, except those involving the valuation and intervention on health in the health field.

As it has already been said, the Degree in Psychology does not entitle by itself to exercise psychology in the health sector, but it is a requirement to access the Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology. General Health Psychologists that hold the qualification of the Master’s Degree in Health Psychology as well as the qualification of graduate in Psychology will be considered as health professional. Thus, they can develop their professional activity on their own behalf or as a third party in the health sector by carrying out research studies, evaluations or psychological interventions on any behaviour aspect related to health, within the framework of what the Law establishes.

The Degree in Psychology does not entitle by itself to exercise psychology in the health sector, but it is a requirement to access the Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology

5.) How is the profession of psychologist shaped in Spain within the new legislation?

It is shaped in three ways:

• Graduates in Psychology can exercise as psychologists by carrying out those professional activities that do not lead to value or intervene in health.
• Those who apart from the Undergraduate Degree in Psychology also hold Official Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology qualification can exercise as general health psychologists. The Law has established that it is up to these professionals “developing research studies, evaluations and psychological intervention on those aspects of the behaviour and activity of the people that have an impact in the promotion and general state of health, whenever such activities do not require specialised attention on the part of other health professionals.”
• And those who hold the official qualification of specialist in Clinical Psychology, who are also health professionals, can exercise as specialist psychologists in Clinical Psychology.

Therefore, there are two types of health psychologists: the generalists and the specialists. This situation is the same as other health professions, such as medicine or nursing, for example. Regarding the doubts on what one or another can do in the field of pscyhology, it works the same as the other professions.

 There are two types of health psychologists: the generalists and the specialists

The generalist has full competence to exercise but if due to its severity or difficulty requires a more specialised intervention, the treated person should be assisted by the specialist. This specialist does not have to be necessarily a clinical psychologist. According to the specific case, the specialised attention would be assigned to the most appropriate health professional.

Also, this regulation establishes that it is necessary to be a specialist to work in the Spanish National Health System or in associated centres for the effectiveness in providing essential health services.

Until now, the only way that psychologists had to be able of legally exercising in public or associated health centres was to access the PIR (Resident Internal Psychologist) with a very limited offer of places throughout Spain.

For the exercise of health psychology in the private field, it was not compulsory to carrying out a postgraduate training and if they wanted to carry it out, they could chose between the different master’s degrees that were offered in the different universities and psychology centres.

Now, students graduated in psychology that wanted to exercise as health psychologists in the private sector should study the University Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology, according to the Seventh Additional Provision to Law General Health 33/2011.

Students graduated in psychology that wanted to exercise as health psychologists in the private sector should study the University Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology