Current Status of Clinical Psychologist in

India
Clinical psychology is a developing branch of applied psychology with huge
potential in India. Western science recognises and develops this. It studies the
mind, brain, and behaviour. It covers the largest branch of psychology that
assesses, diagnoses, prognoses, treats, and prevents psychological diseases.
Additionally, study a person's reaction, emotion, and behaviour to treat behavioural
issues. Therapy and counselling replace medication.

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Clinical psychologists have challenging and responsible roles as teachers,
researchers, administrators, clinicians, and psychotherapists. Thus, clinical
psychologists must practise with flexibility and creativity. They lead teams and are
assertive on medical and paramedical issues. The Rehabilitation Council of India
regulates clinical psychologists' code of conduct and ethics. Certificates and
medical-legal cases require great care. Clinical findings, mental status examination,
and objective assessment equipment form their psychological report.

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In 1915, Girindra Shekar Bose founded the first Indian psychological laboratory
in the University of Calcutta, which led to the first psychology department in
1916. He founded India's first psychoanalytic society in 1922, Mysore
University's psychology department in 1924, and Lucknow University's in
1929. G.D. Boaz, an internationally renowned psychologist, founded the
University of Madras' psychology department in 1943 from the philosophy
department.

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General, developmental, and applied psychology courses began in university
psychology departments. Industrial psychology courses expanded rapidly as new
industries emerged from industrialization. Clinical and community psychology
courses followed the shift from lab to community. Clinical and organisational
psychology became standard psychology courses. Over the past two decades,
sports psychology, cognitive psychology, health psychology, and rehabilitation and
counselling psychology have emerged as newer branches of psychology.

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 Many government, government-aided, and private colleges offer
undergraduate psychology courses. Recently, many private colleges have
started self-financing psychology courses at the undergraduate and
postgraduate levels, indicating the growing popularity of psychology in
India.

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 Psychological studies now incorporate methods and applications from social
sciences, business management, medicine, human resources, and philosophical
fields like yoga therapy. Political governance, forensics, and cognitive
development are expanding the field. Psychologists must keep up with global
changes to achieve holistic and progressive development.

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Private institutions offer academic and professional certifications in addition to
major universities and colleges. The Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai,
the A.N. Sinha Institute, Patna, the National Brain Research Centre, Gurgaon,
and the Centre for Organisation Development, Hyderabad, are notable
examples.

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The Defence Institute of Psychological Research, Delhi, a unique institution under
the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, uses psychological methods and
strategies to assess, train, and build psychologically proficient defence officers.
They fund psychology research and conduct experiments on psycho-physiological
changes in high altitudes and stress tolerance. Another lab-based professional
association for behavioural scientists is the Indian Society of Applied and
Behavioural Sciences in New Delhi.

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The Indian Academy of Applied Psychology (IAAP), Chennai, the National
Academy of Psychology, Mumbai, the Indian Psycho-Analytical Society, Kolkatta,
the Indian Association of Clinical Psychology (IACP), New Delhi, the Indian
School Psychology Association, Pondicherry, and the Indian Psychological
Association, New Delhi, have all been operating for over three decades in India.

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Most academic societies hold conferences, symposia, workshops, and events to
share current psychology research. Young psychologists can also network with
senior psychologists. In its 50 years, the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology
has held 47 national conferences. These conferences cover cutting-edge
psychology topics nationwide. Over the past five years, professional societies have
held conferences on the following topics: Challenges of Applied Psychology for
Societal Transformation (IAAP, Calcutta, 2008), Applied Psychology in Changing
Cultural Perspectives (IAPP, Aurangabad, 2009)

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The National Annual Conference of the IAP on Enabling the Disabled (IACP,
Kolkata, 2009), Quality of Life and Globalisation: Effective Self-Care
Interventions (IAAP, Vishakhapatnam, 2010), Clinical Psychology for a Changing
World: Practises, Training, and Research (IACP, Bangalore, 2010), Life Skills for
Enhancing Quality of Life (IAAP, Mysore, 2011), Clinical Forensic Psychology:
An Emerging Scientific Discipline (IACP, Ahmadabad, 2011), and Applied
Psychology in Transforming Education and Management Sciences in the Context
of Globalisation (IAAP, Cochin, 2012).

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In addition to these bodies and institutions, India publishes the following major
psychology academic journals, allowing researchers to share their findings.
Psychological Studies, Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology, Journal of Indian
Academy of Applied Psychology, Journal of Psychological Research, Journal of
Community Psychology, Indian Journal of Applied Psychology, Indian
Psychological Review, and Journal of Indian Health Psychology are among them.

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Indian clinical psychology provides mental health services. It uses biology,
medicine, and sociology. The Indian government launched the first postgraduate
clinical psychology course in 1955 to train mental health specialists (NIMHANS,
2000, 2010). The first course was a diploma in medical psychology (DMP), later
renamed DM&SP. Medical and social psychology MPhil. The 2-year programme
requires a psychology MA or MSc. An MPhil in clinical psychology is a two-year
programme with an entrance exam that includes a written test, interview, and
practise. A PhD in psychology is a four-year programme that requires an MA or
MSc in psychology.
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 The Indian government set up the All India Institute of Mental Health in
Bangalore, which is now known as the National Institute of Mental Health and
Allied Neuro-Sciences.

 There, a postgraduate diploma in medical psychology was started as a full-time

course with clinical psychology internship training. Since then, full-time
training courses in clinical psychology have been called things like DMSP,
MM&SP, and now M.Phil in clinical psychology.

 Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, started offering similar courses in 1962,

and Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences, Ranchi, did the
same in 2000.
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 More than two dozen government and private centres have recently started
training programmes in clinical psychology.

 These centres are recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India in New

Delhi and are connected to Indian universities that are recognised by the
University Grant Commission.

 Some of them work for the ministry of health's centre of excellence, as well as
for other university departments and the ministry of social justice and
empowerment's apex institute.
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 Clinical psychologists are needed in the psychiatry departments of medical
schools, in mental hospitals, and in most disability rehabilitation centres.

 However, their services are most important for people with mental illness and
intellectual disability.

 As a clinical psychologist, it is your job to care for and help people with mental
health issues, learning disabilities, emotional problems, good health, substance
abuse, and adult mental health, among other things.
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The IACP was founded in 1969 to promote clinical psychology teaching, research,
and practise, formulate and advise on clinical psychology education standards at
university and professional levels, develop an objective and experimental approach
to clinical psychology problems among professionals and research workers, extend
clinical psychological services to the field of mental health and related areas, and
advise.

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 Clinical psychologists who work in rehabilitation centres are an important part
of the medical board. They evaluate people with intellectual disabilities and give
their percentages of disability based on IQ tests and disability assessment scales.

 Even though almost two generations of trained clinical psychologists have spent
their lives in their professional set-up, we are still not at the same level as our
other medical colleagues in terms of our professional position.

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 In 2007, they thought they would need a total of 3,037 people. This number is
expected to rise to 3,155 by the end of the 11th five-year plan and to 3,232 by
the end of the 12th five-year plan.

 As the number of people with disabilities grows, so will the need for people with
these skills. About 85% of them need to have a degree, and the other 15% need
to have a certificate.

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 In 2007, there were 209 trained clinical psychologists, 465 in 2012, and 785 in
2016. IACP's annual report says that there are currently 852 members in the
group. They might be part of the Rehabilitation Council of India or they might
not be.

 Several studies show that about 25% of trained professionals are leaving the
country for better pay, working conditions, and job prospects.

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As estimates have shown, only a small number of people with PhDs work in this
sector. To solve this problem, national institutes and universities should offer more
doctoral and postgraduate courses in this field. Experts from all over the country
and even from other countries would be there to encourage the students to get more
professional training.

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The biggest problem in this sector is that it can't get talented people to work there.
Because they don't think there are many job opportunities in the field. From what
we've seen, people who work in this field are paid very little, don't get much social
recognition, and don't have good job prospects for the future. They are also treated
like assistants to medical doctors.

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Most of the teaching staff at national institutes, NGOs, and other places seemed
upset. To keep things from getting stuck, a bright carrier policy would be made.
There should be enough effort to bring in trained people by offering standard pay
packages, better future prospects, and better working conditions.

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Concerning the status of clinical psychologists, some people say that self-styled
practitioners should be banned right away by setting up a law code of conduct and
a national licencing board like the American Psychological Association and the
British Council for Psychologist.

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A study from 1955 by Barnett, Very important now, too, because clinical
psychologists are very busy doing psychometric tests like Rorschach and TAT, and
testing used to be done by people who weren't well trained. Only people who know
what they are doing should use projective techniques. Also, a person with an M.A.
in philosophy who was doing psychoanalysis was a poorly trained psychologist
who did not have the right internship training.

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In addition, Barnette's study from 1955 showed that there were no textbooks
written by Indian authors. Even so, we did find a book called Textbook of Clinical
Psychology by Bhatia (2008). K.R. Rao's (2008) report says that Indian
psychology is in such bad shape that many people think the country needs to look
back at its own history and learn from it.

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 Due to the progress of digital technology, especially the use of the internet in
diagnosing, prognosing, and managing the psychodynamics of emotional
diseases and preventing mental health problems, the status of clinical
psychology might be better or even better now.

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 Rehabilitation Council of India

Clinical psychologists in India also have the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI),
a 1986 registered society. Parliament passed the RCI Act in September 1992,
making it a statutory body on June 22, 1993. Parliament broadened the Act in 2000.
The RCI regulates and monitors disability services, standardises syllabuses, and
maintains a Central Rehabilitation Register of all qualified rehabilitation and
special education professionals.

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The Act penalises unqualified disability service providers. RCI-registered
rehabilitation professionals can work anywhere in India. Rehabilitation
professionals can only work in government or in institutions run by local or other
authorities if they have a recognised rehabilitation qualification and are on the
Central Rehabilitation Register. RCI-registered professionals include clinical
psychologists. The RCI offers rehabilitation psychology courses like the MPhil.

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Indian clinical psychologists test, diagnose, treat, teach, and research. India values
testing. Psychological testing helps diagnose, manage, and research.
Neurophysiologists and surgeons often test lobar function. Family physicians and
paediatricians diagnose and treat children and adolescents with
academic/behavioural issues through psychological assessment. India calls
developmental disorders dyslexia, learning disability, or mental retardation.
Parents and teachers in India exert academic pressure.

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HELP CHILD is a nongovernmental registered centre for learning disabled children
under the Help Child Charitable Trust, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, established in 1994
exclusively for children with specific learning difficulties in reading, writing,
spelling, and mathematics in regular school education. It assesses and remediates
6–14-year-olds. It runs school screening camps for learning disabilities and
awareness and training programmes for Tamil Nadu teachers and parents.

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Alcohol and addiction services employ clinical psychologists. These inpatient
services focus on the individual, family, and community. Inpatients must bring
their spouses to weekly sessions. The family and community are considered
"primary carers" while staff are "secondary carers" in a person's recovery.
Family psychoeducation and support usually lasts two years (Agrawal et al., 2003;
Dutt, 1993).

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Clinical psychologists also work at Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF),
which provides inpatient and outpatient services for adults with psychotic
symptoms. Rehabilitation relies on community psychology methods like
identifying high-need areas, recruiting and training local people in mental health
awareness to support families, mobile consultation clinics (like SCARF buses),
and research on genetics and psychiatric medication response.

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Most clinical psychologists and psychiatrists in India collaborate on diagnosis and
treatment. Psychiatrists teach clinical psychology, learning disabilities, guidance,
and counselling students. Interdisciplinary approaches improve patient care and
knowledge sharing.

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Supervised training and professional development for specific career paths like
educational, marital, and workplace counselling, training and development,
organisational development, assessment, and evaluation are scarce in India.
Professional skills development in psychology is scarce. Psychologists in India are
not centralizedly assessed or accredited. Only the RCI certifies counsellors and
special educators. Thus, above suggestions.

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Conclusion

Thus, academia must encourage psychology students to pursue careers in

psychology and train them to become professionals to meet India's growing
demand for psychological services. Academic graduates should be encouraged to
gain certification in assessment tools, specific counselling, and therapeutic
techniques.

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References:
 Virudhagirinathan, B. S., & Karunanidhi, S. (2014). Current status of
psychology and clinical psychology in India–An appraisal. International
Review of Psychiatry, 26(5), 566-571.

 Singh, S. (2015). Status of clinical psychology in India: A retrospective

analysis of review. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2, 189-
192.

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