A volunteer program for undergraduate psychology students at a chronic mental health facility was evaluated. All 53 volunteers found the program beneficial, 96.2% reported improved understanding of psychopathology, 98.1% noted increased knowledge of the mental health care system, 86.8% reported increased interest in clinical psychology, and 47.2% felt less anxious about working with persons with mental illness as a result of the program.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BoswellJ. F., & CastonguayL. G. (2007) Psychotherapy training: suggestions for core ingredients and future research. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 44, 378–383.
2.
FoussiasG., & RemingtonG. (2010) Negative symptoms in schizophrenia: avolition and Occam's Razor. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 36, 359–369.
3.
PeggS., & LordE. (2008) Trials and tribulations of therapeutic recreation provision in the Australian mental health setting. Annual in Therapeutic Recreation, 16, 181–188.
4.
PhelanJ. C., & LinkB. (2004) Fear of people with mental illnesses. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 45, 68–80.
5.
PillayA. L. (2009) Apartheid and post-apartheid intern clinical psychology training in South Africa. Psychological Reports, 105, 697–700.
6.
PillayA. L., & KritzingerA. M. (in press) Undergraduate psychology student volunteers in inpatient mental health care. Journal of Psychology in Africa.
