Facilitators and barriers to achieving an ageing literate clinical psychology workforce

[Extract] Discussions of clinical psychology training can be placed more broadly within wider discussions of the best ways to train health professionals[1]. At issue is how to improve the ability of newly trained mental health professionals to respond to the changes in a dynamic health care environment [2]. This paper uses quantitative and qualitative data gathered in Australia to highlight difficulties in delivering a coherent curriculum in old age psychology. Australia as a country has some distinct advantages with respect to geropsychology training (e.g., much national awareness of clinical ageing issues) as well as important disadvantages (most prominently, a dearth of trained clinical psychology specialists in ageing) [3]. Data from a recent survey of Australian clinical directors highlights the increased need and demand for clinical psychology training to embrace specific training to meet the needs of older adults. Open-ended queries about the growth of ageing as an area of clinical psychology provoked a range of telling responses. This data, analysed via Leximancer version 3.5, led to 10 primary themes being identified. These included the fact that geropsychology was a subspecialty of increasing interest and importance; that current accreditation requirements posed a barrier to extending coursework and placement opportunities focussing on older adult, and that student interest in this area was growing (although the latter point was controversial). In another survey of student views of strengths and weaknesses in clinical psychology training in Australia, assessment of clinical competencies was highly desired yet often not adequate