Unregulated psychologists putting athletes' mental health 'at risk'
Australian Psychological Society calls for measures to raise awareness of malpratice
Athletes in Australia working with unregulated psychologists are unknowingly putting their mental health at risk, according to the country's psychology trade body.
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) says that the 'increasingly commonplace' use of specialists operating without accredited training could lead to more misdiagnosed mental health problems - and has called on the country's sport organisations to help tackle the problem.
“People need to understand that if their ‘mindfulness coach’ or ‘performance coach’ has not received formal mental health training, they will not be able to diagnose or treat mental health problems, and that there’s a risk any mental health conditions may be missed,” said Damien Stewart, Chair of the APS’ College of Sport and Exercise Psychology.
Stewart also claimed that practitioners who aren’t registered with the Psychology Board of Australia or listed with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) may pose a danger to clients by offering “less effective or even harmful treatment.”
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Regulated psychologists working in Australia have to adhere to rules laid out by the AHPRA, as well as undertaking a minimum of six years of university training. The oversight and mandatory education resembles the system governing sport and exercise psychologists in the UK, where the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) maintains a register of accredited professionals.
However, despite the intervention of bodies such as the AHPRA and HCPC, there are growing calls in both countries for broader measures aimed at raising awareness of an issue already affecting athletes.
The APS is calling for education about the benefits of using fully qualified Sport and Exercise Psychologists, more training for psychologists interested in the sport and exercise field and for Australian sports to work with registered practitioners, to ensure they are getting appropriate care for their athletes.
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