Issues in training in clinical psychology in Australia: Interplay between training goals and legal standards of practice

Training models in clinical psychology vary across regions, as do the laws that regulate professional practice in psychology. Standards for practice and for entry into professional practice may endure past the point of utility in the face of changing health-care systems and evolving international considerations. Herein the authors review aspects of the Australian 4-year training model, including qualifications for entry to the profession, supervision, and the influence of the profession and the universities in maintaining and in changing to a new training model. Aspects of training in clinical psychology in Australia are also discussed, and the Australian and New Zealand accreditation models are contrasted. Suggestions on ways to move forward are offered.

The contagion of international terrorism and its effects on the firm in an interconnected world

International trade and investment economies are highly integrated and interdependent and can be exploited by organized, international terrorism. The network of inter dependencies in the international economy means that a terrorist attack has the potential to disrupt the functioning of the network, so the effects can reverberate around the world. Governments can control the distributed effects of terrorism by auditing industrial networks to reveal and protect critical hubs and by promoting flexibility in production and distribution of goods and services to improve resilience in the economy. To explain these network effects, the authors draw on the new science of complex networks which has been applied to the physical sciences and is now increasingly being used to explain organizational and economic phenomena.

International images and mass media: The effects of media coverage on Canadians' perceptions of ethnic and race relations in Australia

Recently, there has been much speculation about the impact of international media coverage of Australia's position on Indigenous people, migrants and asylum seekers on other nations' images of Australia. In this experiment we examined whether there was any basis for such concerns by considering the short-term impact of negative TV coverage of Australians on Canadian viewers. A questionnaire provided baseline data on Canadian students' perceptions of Australians and Australian race relations. Four months later, the students were assigned to one of three conditions that varied media contact with Australians. Students viewed one of two television programs (about right-wing political independent, Pauline Hanson, and her emotive criticisms of Aborigines and Asian immigrants or about an ethnically-mixed group of young Australians and their positive sense of cultural identity), or they viewed no program (no contact control). Results indicated that both positive and negative media coverage of Australians affected Canadians' views of Australia in the short-term. In particular, negative coverage (of Hanson) promoted less favourable views of Australians and Australian race relations over time and relative to the positive media and no media control conditions. The media's role in shaping international images is discussed.

Developments in National Physical Activity Policy: An international review and recommendations towards better practice

Physical activity (PA) is increasingly considered an important public health issue and as such requires the development of good public health policy. This paper provides a summary of the literature on policy development and defines what a policy on PA may usefully comprise. The results of an international review of national level PA policies, using a defined set of criteria, are reported. Considerable similarities were found in the methods and approaches to policy development on PA across countries, with most adopting an intersectoral approach, with consultation and partnership between sectors occurring at a high level of government. The need for action across the lifespan is recognised, as is the need for multiple strategies across a variety of settings. A review of Australian PA policy found that, after promising strategic developments through Active Australia in the late 1990s, PA policy and the role of the federal health sector has become less clear, with PA policy existing now only as a component part integrated into other chronic disease prevention policy initiatives. Recommendations towards better practice in policy making are made with particular reference to developing a clearly defined integrated national PA policy in the Australian context.

Professional doctoral training in psychology: International comparison and commentary

The level of training required for the practice of professional psychology varies across countries, and usually evolves from a combination of input from local and national regulatory bodies, legislative requirements, academic institutions and relevant professional bodies. Here we explore the North American and Australian historical developments and future directions in levels of training required and aspired to for professional psychologists, along with a brief comparison to training for psychologists in Central and South America, Europe and Asia. The recent proliferation of professional doctorate degrees in Australian universities has added another layer to the suite of available qualifications for professional psychologists and to some degree reflects international trends in the profession. The important role of professional organisations in establishing the educational requirements for entry into professional practice is highlighted.

The importance of setting and evaluating standards of telemedicine training

The importance of appropriate training in the use of videoconferencing equipment for clinical purposes is often underestimated when telemedicine projects are established. We developed a user training programme which was delivered via videoconferencing to a group of 130 nurses. Training was delivered on a one-to-one basis. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate user satisfaction and the effectiveness of training. One hundred and two fully completed questionnaires were returned (a 79% response rate). High levels of satisfaction were obtained but the level of user competence reached 100% only when training was supported by a training manual and at least weekly practice. Before establishing a telemedicine service, the following steps appear to be important: identify the required training competencies; deliver a 'hands on' training programme based on the required training competencies; back up the training programme with an instruction booklet; ensure that trainees have at least weekly practice; measure the level of user competence.