Progress of health psychology regulation: A comparison between countries

ABSTRACT

The independent practice of clinical psychology has experimented recent changes. Spain has achieved to regulate the current professional situation of the different figures of clinical psychologists mainly in three arms 1) by authorizing those psychologists who met the required legal criteria to continue with their clinical practice, 2) by creating the Master in General Health Psychology (MGHP) and 3) by maintaining the tasks and public scope for Psychologist Specialized in Clinical Psychology (PSCP) This manuscript aims to summarize the process for the regulation of clinical and health psychology in Spain and to compare it to other European and North American countries. Discussion about the quality, benefits and future ambitions of the MGHP programs have been made.