Clinical Psychology - Research Methods/Key Question/Practical

What is a regulatory body?

Regulates specific activities or industries

What does HCPC stand for?

• Health and Care professional council

What role does the HCPC have?

• The HCPC provides guidelines for all professionals working in clinical practice (with patients) which they must adhere to in order to remain on the Register

• Originally, all practicing or trainee psychologists had to be registered with the BPS (British Psychological Society) but this changed in 2009- instead registration changed to the HCPC

• The aim of having a regulatory body is to ensure that all professional practice in a safe way for the benefit of patients and anyone who breeches the guidelines can be held professionally or criminally accountable

• The BPS still dictates and oversees training courses for Psychologists (such as uni courses) and the HCPC will visit training providers to ensure that the required standard of education is being delivered

What do Clinical Psychologists need to do when they register/remain registered with the HCPC?

1. Provide a character reference from a credible source who has known them 2 years or more. This requirement includes a DBS check in order to check suitability

2. Update health information it necessary every 2 years and inform the HCPC of any medical condition that could affect their ability to practice effectively.

3. Maintain the professional standards by using the specific guidelines set out in the Standards of Proficiency

How many standards are included in the HCPC for Clinical Psychologists?

15 standards

Categories:

• Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

• Standards for continuing professional development

• Standards or education and training

• Standards for prescribing

HCPC Standard to maintain

1 - be able to practise safely and effectively within their scope of practice

Example: Guidelines to follow

• know the limits of their practice and when to seek advice or refer to another professional

Example: Practical application for clinician

• If a clinician is not sure what course of action to take, or they know they are not qualified to make a decision, they should ask a senior clinician for support or refer to an alternative healthcare professional

HCPC Standard to maintain

2 - be able to practise within the legal and ethical

boundaries of their profession

Example: Guidelines to follow

• Understand the need to act in the best interests of service users at all times.

• Understand what is required of them by the Health and Care Professions Council

• Understand the importance of and be able to obtain informed consent

Example: Practical application for clinician

• Recommend the best treatments and/or therapy for the individual patient.

• Carry out follow up appointments to review treatment plans

• Provide full and accurate information about the clinical sessions, treatment options and therapy. If patient is unable to give consent, obtain gatekeeper consent from next of kin

HCPC Standard to maintain

3 - be able to maintain fitness to practise

Example: Guidelines to follow

• Understand the need to maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct.

• Understand the importance of maintaining their own health.

• Understand both the need to keep skills and knowledge up to date and the importance of career-long learning.

• Be able to manage the physical, psychological and emotional impact of their practice.

Example: Practical application for clinician

• How you behave in a clinical setting needs to be

• Speak in formal language, correct body language

• Psychologist may go to therapy session themselves to get rid of any build up emotions and to be mentally fit for practice

• This allows them to develop effective coping strategies

• Having a good work life balance

HCPC Standard to maintain

6 - be able to practise in a non-discriminatory manner

Example: Guidelines to follow

• Adhere to the equality act 2010

• Reflect on your own stereotypes, prejudices or assumptions

Example: Practical application for clinician

• Ensure that patients' characteristics are protected - age, sex, gender, disability.

• Ensure non-judgemental practice is being used and own stereotypes or prejudices do not affect treatment given

HCPC Standard to maintain

8 - be able to communicate effectively

Example: Guidelines to follow

• Be able to demonstrate effective and appropriate verbal and non-verbal skills in communicating information, advice, instruction and professional opinion to service users, colleagues and others.

Example: Practical application for clinician

• Use clear, unambiguous language so the patient can understand. 

• Don’t use medical jargon that is complicated

• Use a calm supportive tone of voice

• Use interpreters if needed

• Use open body language that is non-threatening

• Maintain appropriate eye contact

• Use helpful gestures

HCPC Standard to maintain

9 - be able to work appropriately with others

Example: Guidelines to follow

• Be able to keep accurate, comprehensive and comprehensible records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and Guidelines (Data protection Act and GDPR)

Example: Practical application for clinician

• Use safe and secure data storage procedures such as password protected electronic files and locked filing systems

• Record notes with patients based on what they say/demonstrate without bias

Key Question - Is the media helpful in reducing the stigma of mental illness?

Introduction

AO1 How is mental illness shown in different types of media

What is mental illness?

Define stigma (negative attitudes, prejudice, discrimination).

• A stigma is a negative attitude, prejudice or discrimination or perception of a person or group based on noticeable traits such as physical characteristics, particular behaviours, disabilities, or mental illness.

• Stigmas can trigger poor physical or emotional health.

AO2 application to real world (implications) (How accurate is the media portrayal?)

Describe why stigma is a problem in society (barriers to help-seeking, social exclusion).

Why do we need to reduce stigma?

• Stigma is a significant problem in society because it leads to social exclusion, marginalisation and inequality.

• It causes individuals to be left out and treated unfairly which can harm both mental and physical health.

• People facing stigma often suffer from depression, anxiety and low self-esteem making them withdraw socially and feel isolated.

• Stigma and discrimination also harm physical health as marginalised communities often struggle to access good healthcare, leading to worse health and more health gaps.

• It is important that we reduce stigma/discrimination to build inclusive societies and ensure that everyone is valued and respected.

AO3 Evaluation (strengths of research, limitations, application, ethics)

The media can be both helpful and unhelpful in reducing stigma in society depending on how mental illness is portrayed.

• The media can help reduce stigma when it shows mental illness accurately and sensitively.

• However, it can also increase stigma when it uses stereotypes, exaggerates symptoms or portrays people with mental illness and dangerous.

Key Question - Is the media helpful in reducing the stigma of mental illness?

Main discussion

AO1 How is mental illness shown in different types of media

Explain how media (TV, film, news, social media) influences mental health perceptions. Which media forms are most influential?

Mention the importance of public health campaigns (e.g., Time to Change, Heads Together).

How can representation reduce stigma? - Define/describe: positive representation, contact hypothesis (vicarious contact through media).

• Media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions of mental health, these can be positive representations helping to raise awareness, but also can continue showing the stigma and misinformation about mental illness.

• For example, the portrayal of mental health in various media forms like television, film and social media can reinforce negative stereotypes and stigmatised attitudes. This can be done by  individuals with mental health conditions being portrayed as violent or 'crazy' which misrepresents the reality that they are victims of violence. Moreover, this simplistic representation of mental illness not only distorts public understanding but it also contributes to adding fear and misunderstanding surround mental illness as a whole.

• However, the media can work to control mental health stigma and discrimination. This is because the media plays a crucial role in reducing stigma and taking action against discrimination against individuals with mental health conditions. This is done by positive representation which will include providing accurate information and debunking myths, the media can also promote people to seek help and reduce stigma among the public. Additionally, collaborating with people who live with metal health conditions such as expert sources can further shed light on public health issues, and training media professionals on responsible reporting about mental health is also essential to ensure sensitivity and accuracy in their content creation. To add on, the contact hypothesis is a theory developed by social psychologist Gordon Allport in the 1950s suggests that direct contact between individuals with mental illness and the general public can reduce stigma and discrimination. This hypothesis is based on the idea that social contact between social groups is sufficient enough to reduce intergroup prejudice. To effectively reduce stigma, the contact hypothesis emphasise equal status, common goals and intimate contact.

• The most influential media forms in shaping mental health perceptions are television, social networks, online articles and newspapers. This is because these platforms provide a story that affects beliefs and actions regarding mental health - particularly in children and young people. As discussed before, they can either promote awareness and understanding while aiming to destigmatise mental illness or perpetuate negative stereotypes and misinformation which create barriers to seeking help leading to harmful attitudes towards those struggling with mental health issues.

• Mental health campaigns play a vital role in influencing public perceptions of  mental health. They have significantly shifted public perception by educating the public on the reality of mental illness, reducing stigma, and promoting mental health as an important part of overall well-being. A key example is the 'Time to Change' campaign which has led to a reduction in stigma and discrimination towards people with menta illness. Furthermore, research has shown that public attitudes towards mental health have improved since the program, with a noticeable decrease in discrimination reported by individuals with mental health conditions. The campaign's effect is clear in the positive changes in knowledge, attitudes and desire for social distance towards mental health issues. Moreover, the campaign's effectiveness is supported by a longitudinal study that evaluated changes in stigma-related public knowledge, attitudes and desire for social distance since the program began. And they found significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes, though not social distance. It is evident that these positive change indicate that the Time to Change campaign has made a significant impact on public stigma and discrimination against people with mental health disorders. To add onto this, the campaign has also led to improvements in workplace attitudes towards mental health, this has been particularly notable in workplaces where individuals with mental health problems are now perceived as capable and deserving of equal opportunities. Overall, it is clear that the Time to Change campaign is important in reducing stigma and discrimination as it has been successful, also contributing to a more inclusive, understanding society towards mental health.

Key Question - Is the media helpful in reducing the stigma of mental illness?

Main discussion

AO2 application to real world (implications) (How accurate is the media portrayal?)

Apply to realistic examples:

• Positive: documentaries, lived-experience posts, celebrity disclosures.

• Negative: sensationalist headlines, “dangerous schizophrenic” tropes in films/crime news.

• Explain how each changes public perceptions.

What’s the likely outcome (e.g., reduced prejudice vs increased fear)? - Explain the impact on public attitudes and behaviour (e.g., help-seeking, fear).

• Positive portrayals are included in films like 'Inside Out' and 'Silver Linings Playbook' which demonstrate the importance of relationships and family support for individuals with mental health problems, this changes public perceptions as it shows people how individuals with mental illnesses should be supported. Moreover, films like 'A Beautiful Mind' portrays experiences of schizophrenia and how it was treated in the 1950s which contributes to a greater understanding and compassion clearly shifting public perceptions positively.

• However negative portrayals are also included in films where antagonists are portrayed with mental illness, in particular when characters with schizophrenia are presented as 'homicidal maniacs' in the movie slasher or 'psycho killer' movies. This can affect public perceptions to create stigma and discrimination by inducing fear and negative stereotypes around mental illness.

Key Question - Is the media helpful in reducing the stigma of mental illness?

Main discussion

AO3 Evaluation (strengths of research, limitations, application, ethics)

Strengths (Why can media help?): wide reach, speed, normalisation, education.

Limitations (why might it worsen stigma): stereotypes, misinformation, oversimplification/glamorisation.

Consider individual differences (age/media literacy), platform differences (news vs social), and commercial incentives (sensationalism).

Balanced judgement (what affects the impact): impact depends on accuracy, tone, and context.

• One strength of media helping in reducing the stigma of mental illness is that it has a wide reach as TV, films, social media and the news are able to reach millions of people quickly which spreads awareness on a large scale.

• Another strength of media helping to reduce the stigma of mental illness is due to the speed of communication as information such as mental health campaigns, celebrity disclosures or educational content can spread rapidly meaning stigma can be tackled effectively in shorter periods of time.

• Another strength is in terms of normalisation as seeing characters, influencers or public figures openly discuss mental illness can challenge stigma and stereotypes and make mental illness appear more common and less shameful.

• Another strength is that it provides education, as good quality documentaries, campaigns, and accurate reporting can correct misunderstandings, explain symptoms and encourage help-seeking.

 

• However, a weakness in terms of media potentially worsening stigma is because of promoting stereotypes, films and news sometimes portray people with mental illness as dangerous, unpredictable or violent and this just reinforces public fear and stigma.

• Another weakness is that media can bring misinformation as simplified or inaccurate portrayals can lead people to believe myths like schizophrenia = split personality.

• Another weakness is that media can oversimplify mental illness or glamorise it as some social media influencers romanticise or aestheticize mental health problems, which can undermine real suffering.

 

• Individual differences should also be considered because the impact of media isn't the same for everyone, media literacy can play a role as it could be likely that younger people with higher media literacy may interpret content critically whereas other people might accept stereotypes at face value.

• Moreover, the platform also plays a role in why the impact of media isn't the same for everyone, this is because news media may sensationalise to attract attention whereas social media can spread both supportive content and harmful misinformation and there may be commercial incentives where media companies may prioritise content that gets clicks even if it reinforces stigma.

 

• Overall, the media can be very effective in reducing the stigma on mental illness due to its reach, speed and educational potential. However it must also be taken into account that it can also reinforce stigma through stereotypes, misinformation and sensationalism.

 

Key Question - Is the media helpful in reducing the stigma of mental illness?

Weigh both sides.

Clear reasoned judgement: media can reduce stigma when accurate, empathetic, and platform-moderated.

• Overall, the media has the potential to reduce mental-illness stigma due to its wide reach, speed of communication and ability to normalise and educate. However its effectiveness depends heavily on the quality of the portrayal, when media relies on stereotypes, misinformation or sensationalism is can reinforce stigma rather than reduce it.

• Therefore it is clear that media can reduce stigma but only when portrayals are accurate, empathetic and responsibly moderated by the platform. Its impact is therefore positive only under the right conditions.