Survey Results: Psychologist Prescribing

Survey on www.PsychologicalTesting.com
Jonathan Rich, Ph.D.
8-8-99 through 10-8-99

Survey participants included psychologists (29%), other mental health professionals (26%), health professionals (16%), and "other" (29%). The survey showed strong support for prescription of psychotropic medication by appropriately trained psychologists. Seventy-eight percent responded "Yes" or "Maybe" when asked if psychologists should prescribe medication. A very high proportion, 87%, feel that the quality of psychologist prescribing would be at least as high as the quality provided by current prescribers of psychotropics. Among those who support psychologist prescribing, strongest endorsement was given for the training model proposed by the APA: 300 hours of additional classroom training and experience with 100 patients. None of the survey participants felt that psychologists should prescribe without additional training.

Survey details are shown below:

Should Psychologists Prescribe Medication?

Question 1: Should psychologists prescribe medications for
behavioral and emotional conditions?

1) Yes: 68%

2) Maybe: 10%

3) No: 23%

Question 2: Compared to the current state of affairs, with 80% of
psychotropic medications prescribed by non-psychiatric physicians,
prescribing psychologists would provide:

1) A higher level of mental health care: 74%

2) About the same level of mental health care: 13%

3) A lower quality of mental health care: 13%

Question 3: My occupation is:

1) Clinical Psychologist: 29%

2) Other mental health professional: 26%

3) Health professional: 16%

4) Other: 29%

Question 4: How much additional education should psychologists have
to prescribe, beyond their PhD and internship?

1) No additional education: 0%

2) Some education, but less than 300 hours: 13%

3) 300 hrs. classroom/experience with 100 pts. (APA standard): 45%

4) More than APA standard, less than medical school: 19%

5) Medical school and residency (psychology training should not
count at all toward prescriptive authority): 23%