With an increase in the number of mental illnesses, the demand for highly skilled and educated workforce is on the rise making students opt for psychology, says David Mellor
According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation and World Bank Group, 10 per cent of the world’s population is affected by mental disorders and close to 20 per cent of children suffer from some form of mental disorder. The mental disorders account for 30 per cent of the non-fatal disease burden worldwide and 10 per cent of the overall disease burden, including death and disability.
Being a global burden, mental illness is also costly for a country’s economy. In 2010, the cost of mental disorders worldwide was estimated to be approximately $2.5 trillion; by 2030, that figure is projected to go up by 240 per cent, to $6.0 trillion. This is a serious issue when nearly 80 per cent of the people, likely to experience an episode of a mental disorder in their lifetime, come from low and middle-income countries.
Given the extent and impact of mental illness there is a critical need for prevention, treatment and care services, and for a highly skilled and educated workforce. It isn’t surprising that more and more students are opting to study psychology.
Psychology is the scientific study of how people think, feel and behave. The discipline covers all aspects of the human experience, including the way the brain works, the way people develop over the lifespan, the way people relate to each other in social groups and society, their personality, and mental health. Those with professional training in this field are required in fields like schools, hospitals, research centres, corporate, and even advertising firms and NGOs.
Courses and Eligibility
An undergraduate (UG) degree provides students with a foundational knowledge of all the major areas encapsulated by the discipline. Different countries have different eligibility criteria. To be eligible to pursue an undergraduate psychology degree in India, a student must have qualified 10 plus 2 or equivalent examination in any stream. Many reputed institutions require a minimum of 50 to 60 per cent marks in 10 plus 2 as qualifying criterion to secure admission. While in the US, a student must be a high school graduate or must have completed his General Education Development (GED). Also for students whose first language is not English, foreign universities ask for either TOEFl (test of English as foreign language) or IElTS (International English language Testing System) or both as admission criteria.
In the UK, most universities ask for five General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)/Ordinary-level exams and minimum of three Advanced-level exams with advanced grades. In Australia, students graduating from any stream in high school can generally apply to enter UG programmes in Psychology, and the marks required vary from university to university, and course to course.
The profession is heavily regulated, and standards of training are stipulated by Government or Government agencies to ensure that graduates have the knowledge and skills to work safely and ethically with people who seek their help or services. In India, to become a licensed Psychologist, an UG degree in Psychology, from a university accredited by the University Grants Commission is needed. In the US, the American Psychological Association accredits courses while in the UK, this is done by the British Psychological Society. In Australia, a student needs to complete a sequence of courses accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Committee to become eligible for registration as a psychologist.
At present, this involves a minimum of five years of study at university followed by an internship. For endorsement in a specialist field an applied masters or doctorate is required, and this will involve six or seven years of study. These courses are designed for specialist fields of psychological practice, including clinical psychology, forensic psychology, organisational health psychology, counselling psychology, sports psychology, neuropsychology, and community psychology. While in most countries the completion of UG psychology studies does not qualify a graduate to become a registered (licensed) psychologist, the training they have completed is inevitably relevant and useful in their lives and work.
Career options
Graduates may take up a wide range of work opportunities like allied health services, community work, coaching/counselling, youth work, drug and alcohol services, policy development, the justice system, human resources, marketing, social research, health and human services counselling. Some of the most popular specialist areas include clinical, forensic and organisational psychology. Clinical psychologists specialise in the assessment and treatment of mental health problems, and are much in demand in the current age of demanding and stressful environment. These professionals usually practice at public and private clinics and hospitals, or set up a clinic of their own.
Organisational psychologists provide advice and consultation in areas such as recruitment and selection, change management, performance management and well-being, stress and work-life balance. Forensic psychologists are experts in the assessment and treatment of perpetrators of crime, as well as victims of crime.
Other specialists in the field include Geropsychologists, Child psychologists, Social Psychologists, Community psychologists, environmental psychologists, etc. Also, as postgraduate (PG) and doctoral programmes include research, one can also pursue either a research or teaching job in this field. With specialist PG qualifications in these areas, young psychologists can up their game for better opportunities and remuneration. A psychologist is expected to work eight to nine hours a day and could be asked to be present whenever called.
Remuneration
To become a registered psychologist also requires dedication and hard work, as the education pathway is long. However, by the time a student graduates and secures a position, he or she will be rewarded with fulfilling work and a good salary. In the US a psychologist can earn anything between $50,000 and $150,000 per annum, depending on the branch he specialises in.
In the UK, the wages for clinical psychologists range from £28,313 to £37,326 per year. Senior clinical psychologists can expect to earn between £36,112 and £43,335. In Australia, the average salary for a clinical psychologist is around $AUS74,000 per year. For a general psychologist, without specialised PG training, the salary is around $AUS67,000. However, salaries vary substantially depending on whether a psychologist works in the private or public sector, and in which field of psychology he/she works. In India, a psychologist’s salary can range between Rs30,000 to Rs1.2 lakh pm, depending on specialty, location etc.
Future Outlook
There are opportunities for international applications of psychology. For example, psychologists are collaborating internationally to conduct research, train and help people in carrying out humanitarian work during post wars and disaster distresses.
In the coming years, psychologists — especially those without specialist PG clinical training — are likely to face tough competition from masters’ degree counsellors in the service delivery fields. However, several psychology sub-fields are poised for a growth and hold a bright future, particularly industrial-organisational (I/O) psychology (scientific study of human behaviour in the workplace), marketing and customer psychology (understand, predict and manipulate consumer behaviour). Or neuropsychology (deals with nerve-related mental conditions like Alzheimer’s), geropsychology (mental health disorders, depression and aging, anxiety, and age-related illnesses of older adults), coaching psychology (motivate in areas like personal life, work and even sports) and environmental psychology (physical surroundings affecting psychological state).
(The writer is professor, associate dean, Faculty of Health, Deakin University)