All professional psychologists are expected to attain key roles 1–4 on qualification,
while it is acknowledged that key roles 5 and 6 may only be attained though
experience in practice. Each of these key roles is, in turn, subdivided into many
standards of performance. These standards were derived from a series of workshops
and consultations that involved a range of applied psychologists across different sub-
disciplines. They provide detailed description of the functions and competencies that
professional psychologists are required to perform and demonstrate once qualified.
These standards have been adopted by the British Psychological Society (BPS) in
accrediting psychology training courses in the UK and, in broad terms, by the
European Federation of Professional Psychologists Associations (EFPA) in developing
common standards across European psychology training courses (EuroPsy, 2011). EFPA
represents 32 European national psychological associations, including all European
Union Member States and has declared that independent practice as a psychologist
requires university training equivalent to at least 5 years of full-time study and at least
one year of supervised practice (EuroPsy, 2011).
The BPS Division of Health Psychology in the UK developed a competence-based
qualification in professional health psychology, which maps onto the UK National
Standards (BPS, 2007). This analysis and definition of health psychology competencies
includes 19 core units of competence relating to generic professional competence
(which would apply to all psychologists and that corresponds to key role 1 above);
consultancy competence (which would map mainly onto key roles 2 and 4); research
competencies (which maps mainly onto key role 3); and teaching and training
competencies (which map mainly onto key role 5). Michie, Johnston and Abraham
(2004) provide a useful introduction to this model.
A number of key areas of competence that characterize health psychology practice
internationally can be identified (see Abraham and Michie, 2005) and mapped onto
the core areas of health psychology theory and research discussed in this book.
Professional HPs are able to do the following:
1 Assess, that is, understand, describe and explain psychological and behavioural processes that
result in individual differences, including individual strengths and vulnerabilities. This may
involve applying measures to characterize personality, stress levels, attitudes,
patient satisfaction, adherence or health behaviours.
2 Conduct research including developing theory and methods relevant to health-related
behaviour. This could involve applying for research funding, conducting an inter -
pretative analysis of interview data, a systematic review, a meta-analysis, a
prospective survey or randomized controlled trial.
3 Intervene, that is, generate changes in psychological and behavioural processes that result in
improved health care and health outcomes. This could involve applying learning
theory or social cognition theories to design an intervention for an individual in
a health care setting, in a school class or group of workers in a private company.
In Chapter 9 we listed five core competencies, which the UK National Institute
for Health and Clinical Excellence recommended for all professional working in
behaviour change, including HPs.
4 Train and supervise other health professionals, that is, impart skills of psychological
theorizing, assessment and intervention to others. For example, many HPs teach
262 RELATING TO PATIENTS