HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE IN AUSTRALIA - A SURVEY

A survey of 3,197 psychologists, most of them listed in the Australian Psychological Society 1987 Directory of Members, was conducted to ascertain interests and activities in the health psychology and/or behavioural medicine subfield. A total of 321 individuals responded within the requested time, constituting 10% of those surveyed. Most of the respondents indicated membership in the Australian Psychological Society (88%), and two-thirds indicated holding a masters degree or higher. Approximately 60% of the sample are employed in either private practice or departments of psychology in universities or colleges, and substantial numbers of these individuals hold positions in both settings. Areas of considerable interest to either researchers or practitioners in the field included stress and pain. Reported publication and grant activity were both notable, with 43% of the sample reporting some publications and 19% reporting active research grants. These data are consistent with the impressions of recent commentators on the state of health psychology/behavioural medicine in Australia, that this is an active and substantial subdiscipline of psychology, apparently itself in good health.