Survey of the research capacity of clinical psychologists in Ireland
The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice
ISSN: 1755-6228
Article publication date: 11 July 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to profile the research activity, research skills and enablers of research of clinical psychologists in the Republic of Ireland.
Design/methodology/approach
All clinical psychologists working in the Health Service Executive (HSE) or HSE-funded organisations were requested to complete an online survey examining their research capacity. A total of 170 clinical psychologists completed the survey, with an estimated response rate of 20-25 per cent.
Findings
Within the preceding two years, 60 per cent (n=102) of the clinical psychologists sampled had engaged in research. These research active participants were involved with a median of three projects and the majority spent 10 per cent or less of their work time engaged in research. The weakest research skills of research active and research inactive participants were applying for research funding and publishing research. Research active participants indicated a reliance on their own personal motivation to maintain their research activity and indicated a need for more protected time for research.
Practical implications
Managers within the health service need to be incentivised to allocate protected work time for research that directly contributes to service provision. Greater collaboration with academic institutions is needed with regard to targeting the research skills development of clinical psychologists, as well as identifying opportunities for collaborative research.
Originality/value
This is the first survey to profile the research activity and skills of clinical psychologists in the Republic of Ireland and provides an evidence base for future research capacity development.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding was received from the HSCP Education and Development Advisory Group to conduct the survey of Health and Social Care Professionals in Ireland from which the data for the current research was sourced.
Citation
McHugh, P., Corcoran, M. and Byrne, M. (2016), "Survey of the research capacity of clinical psychologists in Ireland", The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 182-192. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-12-2014-0039
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited