Psychology Recognition Week: A Blueprint for Recognizing and Promoting the Contributions of Psychology at Academic Health Centers.

It is important to recognize and celebrate the contributions of psychologists at Academic Health Centers (AHCs). Recognition events can help attract, retain, and honor professionals who play essential roles in healthcare. This case study describes the establishment of a national Psychology Recognition Week in the Department of Veterans Affairs and offers a model for other AHCs looking to implement a similar initiative. This case study outlines several factors that contributed to the success of developing a recognition week, including the involvement of leadership at all levels, forming a planning committee, setting milestones, building infrastructure, and fostering partnerships.

The identity of clinical associates in psychology: a cross sectional, national survey.

BACKGROUND: The Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) is a new psychological profession within the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. This paper considers the processes developing the CAPs' professional identity, specifically how their roles are embedded within services. METHODS: This study utilised an online survey of CAPs and all academic, clinical and managerial staff involved with CAPs. An inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: A total of 164 participants responded to the survey. Five themes were identified: Widening Access to Psychology, Workforce Development, Navigating the Unfamiliar, Trained [Master's level] Professionals and An Emerging Ethos. In addition, key skills and unique contributions from CAPs were identified. CONCLUSIONS: A clear professional identity is emerging, with CAPs depicted as offering versatile interventions in diverse health care settings, fostering a positive and encouraging integration of psychological expertise into the healthcare service. The study highlights areas for development to facilitate the growth and advancement of the role within the psychological workforce.

Unveiling the Elephant in the Room: How do Psychologists Perceive Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offenses?

The societal reintegration of individuals with criminal records, particularly involving sexual offenses, faces challenges due to moral condemnation. Professionals' perspectives are pivotal in facilitating this reintegration process. This study surveyed 314 psychologists via a web-based experiment to assess their judgments regarding allegations of sexual violence and perpetrator's denial. Psychologists with experience in working with individuals convicted of sexual offenses showed a decreased propensity to grant prison benefits upon the progressive disclosure of the sexual offense, which diminished further in the presence of denial. For psychologists lacking such professional experience, judgment worsened solely with the discovery of the sexual offense, but not with denial. Psychologists not experienced in working with individuals with sexual convictions were generally found to have higher levels of malignant satisfaction than their experienced counterparts. Additionally, experienced psychologists exhibited a greater willingness to manage forensic cases and endorsed the effectiveness of treatment, while non-experts displayed less confidence in treatment efficacy, hesitancy in working with such individuals, and a propensity to delegate the case. Availability to handle the case diminished as more information surfaced for both groups. These findings highlight differences in professionals' attitudes based on experience and suggest implications for understanding punitive attitudes towards individuals with sexual convictions.

Understanding the Factors That Contribute to Creating a Collaborative Psychological Formulation: A Qualitative Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: Creating a formulation is one of the key competencies of a clinical psychologist and is understood to be important for guiding therapeutic input and understanding client distress. However, client experience of formulations can vary, with some reporting it is unhelpful and distressing. This novel review explores the experiences of clinicians and clients when creating a formulation, specifically the barriers and facilitators to collaborating on a formulation. This ultimately aims to improve client experience and engagement in formulation. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO and EMBASE was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO. This search was conducted using terms related to 'psychological formulation' and 'experience'. Nineteen qualitative papers met inclusion criteria and were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Findings that pertained to formulation were thematically synthesised. RESULTS: Three analytical themes were identified: toleration of the formulation process-'a necessary evil', which highlights the potential emotional impact of formulation on the client and indicates the importance of responding to client readiness and expectations of formulation; development of the therapeutic relationship-'it's like a two way thing, isn't it?', which suggests that client empowerment, adapting to client needs and clinicians creating a safe and containing environment facilitated the formulation process; systemic factors-'walking a tightrope', which highlights the constraints of resources and team dynamics in therapists' ability to engage in collaborative formulation. CONCLUSION: Facilitators to a collaborative formulation include the following: simple formulations, thorough assessment and preparation for formulation, 'doing with' activities such as timelines and diagrams and working environments that include supportive colleagues and time for reflection and training.

Blended Psychological Interventions for Emotional Disorders in Youth: Acceptability and Intention to Use in a Sample of Portuguese Psychologists.

INTRODUCTION: The rise of mental health problems in youth highlights the need for accessible and cost-effective psychological interventions. Blended interventions, which combine face-to-face and online sessions, can be an adequate response to the increase in demands for youth mental health services. Although this can be a promising approach, effective dissemination depends on the professionals´ acceptance. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the acceptability of and intention to use blended interventions by psychologists working with children with emotional disorders and to examine their predictors, including previous knowledge, expectancies (i.e., performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions), and attitudes toward evidence-based practices. METHODS: The sample consisted of 76 Portuguese psychologists (Mage = 37.26 years, SD = 10.47; 92.1% female) working in youth mental health services. The participants completed an online protocol to evaluate the different dimensions included in the study. RESULTS: The results showed that most participants demonstrated moderate to high acceptability of blended psychological interventions for emotional disorders in youth and intend to use them in the future. Regression analysis showed that performance expectancy and positive attitudes toward evidence-based practices were significant predictors of acceptance of blended interventions and that social influence was a significant predictor of both acceptance of and intention to use blended interventions. CONCLUSION: These results emphasize the importance of sharing the findings of blended interventions, changing professionals' attitudes toward evidencebased practices, and collaborating more closely with organizations and institutions to advance standards that encourage the adoption of this intervention format.

Attitudes on Psychedelics in a Sample of Croatian Mental Health Professionals: A Cross-Sectional National Survey Study.

For some time now, there has been an increased interest in psychedelics among scientists and mental health experts. Given that experts introduce therapy and advise patients, it is important to know their views. Therefore, the aim of our research was to examine and compare the attitudes of psychiatrists and psychologists toward psychedelics. We were interested in how they are formed and what is the role of personality in that process. We included 218 respondents, of which 92 were psychiatrists and 126 were psychologists. Attitudes toward psychedelics were examined using the Attitudes on Psychedelics Questionnaire. We used the Big Five Inventory to examine personality traits. On the Legal Use of Psychedelics subscale, it was shown that psychiatrists have more negative attitudes toward psychedelics (p = .033). Higher Openness (ß = 0.184, p < .001) and lower Conscientiousness (ß = -0.144, p = .009) contribute to positive attitudes toward psychedelics, as well as previous lifetime experience with psychedelics (ß = 0.411, p < .001) and younger age (ß = -0.278, p < .001). In conclusion, we can say that mental health professionals are open but also wary of psychedelics. Openness motivates them to learn. For this reason, additional education could have an impact on the attitudes of psychiatrists and psychologists and prepare them for the practical use of psychedelics.

Large Language Models Versus Expert Clinicians in Crisis Prediction Among Telemental Health Patients: Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to recent advances in artificial intelligence, large language models (LLMs) have emerged as a powerful tool for a variety of language-related tasks, including sentiment analysis, and summarization of provider-patient interactions. However, there is limited research on these models in the area of crisis prediction. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of LLMs, specifically OpenAI's generative pretrained transformer 4 (GPT-4), in predicting current and future mental health crisis episodes using patient-provided information at intake among users of a national telemental health platform. METHODS: Deidentified patient-provided data were pulled from specific intake questions of the Brightside telehealth platform, including the chief complaint, for 140 patients who indicated suicidal ideation (SI), and another 120 patients who later indicated SI with a plan during the course of treatment. Similar data were pulled for 200 randomly selected patients, treated during the same time period, who never endorsed SI. In total, 6 senior Brightside clinicians (3 psychologists and 3 psychiatrists) were shown patients' self-reported chief complaint and self-reported suicide attempt history but were blinded to the future course of treatment and other reported symptoms, including SI. They were asked a simple yes or no question regarding their prediction of endorsement of SI with plan, along with their confidence level about the prediction. GPT-4 was provided with similar information and asked to answer the same questions, enabling us to directly compare the performance of artificial intelligence and clinicians. RESULTS: Overall, the clinicians' average precision (0.7) was higher than that of GPT-4 (0.6) in identifying the SI with plan at intake (n=140) versus no SI (n=200) when using the chief complaint alone, while sensitivity was higher for the GPT-4 (0.62) than the clinicians' average (0.53). The addition of suicide attempt history increased the clinicians' average sensitivity (0.59) and precision (0.77) while increasing the GPT-4 sensitivity (0.59) but decreasing the GPT-4 precision (0.54). Performance decreased comparatively when predicting future SI with plan (n=120) versus no SI (n=200) with a chief complaint only for the clinicians (average sensitivity=0.4; average precision=0.59) and the GPT-4 (sensitivity=0.46; precision=0.48). The addition of suicide attempt history increased performance comparatively for the clinicians (average sensitivity=0.46; average precision=0.69) and the GPT-4 (sensitivity=0.74; precision=0.48). CONCLUSIONS: GPT-4, with a simple prompt design, produced results on some metrics that approached those of a trained clinician. Additional work must be done before such a model can be piloted in a clinical setting. The model should undergo safety checks for bias, given evidence that LLMs can perpetuate the biases of the underlying data on which they are trained. We believe that LLMs hold promise for augmenting the identification of higher-risk patients at intake and potentially delivering more timely care to patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic, psychologists' professional quality of life and mental health.

Background: Psychologists are at known risk of work-related stress, secondary trauma, and burnout. The COVID-19 pandemic increased stress and anxiety for communities worldwide and corresponded with an increased demand for mental health services. Our study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on psychologists' professional quality of life, psychological symptoms, and work-related stress in Aotearoa, New Zealand (NZ). Method: Ninety-nine registered psychologists were recruited via NZ professional psychology organizations, representing 3% of the total workforce. Survey data collected included symptoms of compassion fatigue and satisfaction, psychological symptoms, COVID-19-related stress and resilience, and professional and personal circumstances during the third year of the pandemic, 2022. Results: Seventy percent reported that their work stress had increased, and 60% reported that their caseload intensity had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychologists reported receiving little to no additional personal or professional support, while 55% reported increased personal responsibilities during the pandemic (for example, closed childcare and schools during lockdowns). High rates of compassion fatigue (burnout and secondary traumatic stress) and low resilience were reported. We observed that psychological distress was higher than the community averages before the pandemic and comparable with frontline healthcare professionals. Compassion fatigue was associated with COVID-related stress, psychological distress, years in practice, and more frequent supervision, but not with working with at-risk clients, levels of personal support, or having children at home. Despite these difficulties, high Compassion Satisfaction scores were also reported, with over 90% indicating they had no intention of leaving the profession in the foreseeable future. Conclusion: Psychologists' compassion fatigue appears to have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, as have their symptoms of psychological distress. Increased workplace and clinical demands, telehealth difficulties, stress relating to the pandemic, inadequate support, and increased personal responsibilities were reported by psychologists. Mental health workforces are not immune to the personal and professional impacts of crises and are at risk of burnout and secondary traumatic stress. We hope that increased awareness and understanding of psychologists' own difficulties during COVID-19 can be used to better tackle future crises and support mental health professionals.

The cultural representations and symbolizations emerging from Italian psychologists working in multidisciplinary assisted reproduction teams: A linguistic analysis with the emotional text mining.

This study aims to explore the perspectives of Italian psychologists who work in assisted reproductive treatment (ART) centres regarding their roles within multidisciplinary teams. Twenty-eight psychologists were interviewed, recorded and their transcribed text was analysed using emotional text mining. The analysis revealed four clusters representing the psychologists' cultural symbolizations of their works: 'Clinical Practice with the patient', 'Placing Psychology within the Treatment', 'Psychologist's Loneliness' and; 'Collusion with Medicine'. The symbolic representations emerging clearly highlighted a lack of integration of psychology within the medical field. Psychologists expressed emotional and practical difficulties in trying to integrate their role, including a desire to provide psychological assistance, feelings of loneliness and concerns about jeopardizing their professional opportunities, which are intertwined with the medical field. Present findings underscore the importance of integrating psychology within ART centres and multidisciplinary teams and of establishing operational guidelines for psychologists. These steps are crucial for reaching integration of psychologists within the medical setting.

Website posts and the voice of frontline healthcare workers: a thematic analysis.

PURPOSE: With the soaring rise in popularity of social media platforms in recent decades, the use of website posts for the expression of work-related views has also increased. Despite websites being extensively used, there has been no examination of the views and concerns expressed by frontline workers through website posts. The present research aims to contribute to the "voice literature" first by evaluating how frontline workers utilize anonymous media platforms to express their views and work-related concerns and, second, by demonstrating how anonymous voice systems can encourage frontline health workers in providing feedback and dissatisfaction. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study utilizes the thematic analysis method to analyze the content of posts by psychologists on a collaborative consultation website administrated by Israel's Ministry of Health, discussing their perceptions of work-related concerns. FINDINGS: The analysis identified three work-related themes through the employees' voices. These include insufficient support from management, conflicts and excessive occupational demands. The workers expressed their apprehension with regard to organizational pressures, deficient budget allocations, excessive workloads, lack of recognition and work-life imbalances. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The application of thematic analysis method to anonymous open-public data should be viewed as an effective, affordable, genuine and unique research method for data analysis. Anonymous platforms can generate unique insights that may not be possible through traditional means. This can provide practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of various issues and challenges and be a useful tool for identifying shortcomings within health settings.

Exercise for peri- and postmenopausal women: Recommendations from synergistic alliances of women's medicine and health psychology for the promotion of an active lifestyle.

Adopting healthy behaviors is a multifaceted and complex process that poses significant challenges for individuals. Despite awareness of the detrimental effects of certain behaviors on health, many individuals continue to engage in risky practices. Traditional medical advice and prescriptions, while well intentioned, often fall short in fostering lasting lifestyle changes. Although individuals may also have good intentions, solely relying on doctor's counsel does not ensure successful lifestyle adjustments. One primary reason for this limitation is the lack of specialized expertise in behavioral modification among gynecologists and healthcare providers. Health psychologists are specialized professionals capable of effectively guiding and assisting individuals in modifying health-related behaviors. Their expertise in behavior change strategies and psychological interventions proves invaluable in empowering individuals to embrace healthier lifestyles and contributes to people's well-being. This paper emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts between medical professionals, such as gynecologists, and health psychologists to promote healthy behaviors among peri- and postmenopausal women and enhance women's health. By forging integrative alliances, they can develop comprehensive and tailored interventions. By bridging the gap between medical advice and behavior modification, this collaborative effort has the potential to ensure a more effective intervention process. This holistic approach not only addresses women's specific health needs but also fosters sustainable behavior change when promoting healthy behaviors among middle-aged women. The ultimate goal of such a synergy is to improve women's health outcomes and contribute to a healthier society overall.

Burdens and resources of Austrian clinical psychologists: results of a qualitative study two years into the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the mental health burden in the general population, enhancing the demands placed on mental healthcare professionals. METHODS: This study aimed to assess the burdens and resources of clinical psychologists that emerged since the beginning of the pandemic. N = 172 Austrian clinical psychologists participated in a cross-sectional online survey between April and May 2022. The burdens and the sources of support that emerged during the pandemic were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Mental health-related issues were identified as the greatest burden, followed by work-related themes and restrictions imposed by the government to combat the spreading of the virus. The most important resources mentioned by the clinical psychologists were social contacts and recreational activities. Practising mindfulness and focusing on inner processes and work-related aspects were further important resources mentioned. CONCLUSION: Overall, it seems that clinical psychologists have a high awareness of mental health-related problems related to the pandemic and use adaptive coping strategies to deal with them.

Addressing the psychosocial aspects of transition to adult care in patients with cystinosis.

Cystinosis is a rare autosomal-recessive lysosomal storage disease that progressively affects multiple organs beginning with the kidneys. Patients require lifelong multidisciplinary care for the management of kidney disease and progressive extra-renal manifestations, and thus, they are especially fragile and vulnerable during transition from pediatric to adult care. Previous documents have provided guidance to help the medical transition of these highly burdened patients. Patients and their families often experience great psychological distress and face significant social challenges; for these reasons, they often need help from psychologists, social workers, and other psychosocial professionals. Due to the rarity of the disease, most psychosocial professionals have no expertise in this disorder and require advice. To this end, a steering committee (SC) composed of six experts, including pediatric nephrologists, psychologists, and social workers with experience in the care for patients with cystinosis, have identified and addressed seven key questions related to psychosocial challenges of the disease and the burden of treatment. Ten additional international experts (the extended faculty, EF) were invited to answer these questions. Since robust evidence is lacking, as in many rare diseases, conclusions were based on collective agreement between members of the SC and the EF, and the consolidated answers were summarized into expert opinion statements. The present document contains information on the concerns and psychosocial burden of patients with cystinosis and of their caregivers, and provides practical advice for timely and appropriate support to facilitate the transition to adult care.

Psychological Preparedness of Psychologists during the COVID-19 Emergency: Are There Any Individual Differences?

The COVID-19 outbreak has posed an unprecedented global challenge. However, despite the large amount of evidence on the psychological consequences of the pandemic, very few studies have focused on psychologists themselves. (1) Background: The present study aimed to characterise the professional and clinical profile of psychologists facing the COVID-19 outbreak and to investigate the relationship between psychological preparedness and a series of potential predictors (e.g., sociodemographic and professional variables and psychological distress). (2) Methods: A total of 1115 psychologists fully completed an online survey. The data collection period started with the first wave of the pandemic. Participants were asked to provide sociodemographic and professional data and to complete three questionnaires assessing psychological preparedness, worry, and anxiety symptoms. (3) Results: Descriptive results showed that the COVID-19 outbreak did not cause an interruption to the psychological practice of professionals (both in the public and in private sectors) and that psychologists accepted the introduction of technological devices within their regime of work in order to guarantee their service to clients. Only a minority of participants reported clinically significant levels of symptoms of anxiety and worry. Regression analyses revealed that being older, having taken part in training courses on the COVID-19 emergency, and experiencing lower levels of worry and anxiety were all significant predictors of both cognitive and affective psychological preparedness. (4) Conclusions: Taken together, these findings seem to highlight that specific factors can enhance psychological preparedness among psychologists. Therefore, it is vital to inform authorities about the importance of providing emergency programmes to train healthcare workers, especially psychologists, on how to develop psychological preparedness when facing the negative consequences of critical incidents at a universal level, given their crucial role in promoting mental health.

Pediatric Mental Health Care and Scope-of-Practice Expansions.

To examine the association between psychologist and nurse practitioner scope-of-practice (SoP) regulations and pediatric mental health service access. A nationally representative sample of children with mental health needs was identified using 5 years of National Survey of Children's Health (2016-2020). Utilization was measured in two ways: (1) unmet mental health care needs and (2) receipt of mental health medication. Expanded SoP for psychologists and nurse practitioners was measured based on the child's state of residence and the year of the survey. The associations between both SoP expansion and both outcomes were assessed using logistic regression models adjusted for multiple covariates. The probability of having unmet mental health needs was 5.4 percentage points lower (95% CI - 0.102, - 0.006) for children living in a state with psychologist SoP expansion; however, there was no significant difference in unmet mental health needs between states with and without NP SoP expansion. The probability of receiving a mental health medication was 2.0 percentage points higher (95% CI 0.007, 0.034) for children living in a state with psychologist SoP expansion. Conversely, the probability of receiving a mental health medication was 1.5 percentage points lower (95% CI - 0.023, - 0.007) for children living in a state with NP SoP expansion. Expanded SoP for psychologists is associated with improved access to pediatric mental health care in terms of both unmet need and receiving medication. Expanded SoP for NPs, however, was not associated with unmet need and lower receipt of medication.

Australian psychologists' knowledge, confidence, and practices in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder diagnostic assessment.

BACKGROUND: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). There are many documented barriers to FASD diagnostic assessment, including a limited number of trained clinicians. This study aimed to establish baseline levels of Australian psychologists' knowledge and practices in FASD assessment to develop training and improve future diagnostic capacity. METHODS: An online survey was completed by 106 Australian psychologists. The survey elicited respondents' demographics, knowledge about FASD, confidence in various aspects of assessment and perceived future training needs. RESULTS: Respondents reported a broad understanding of the FASD diagnostic term and potential harm of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). However, most respondents were not confident in their ability to conduct the psychometric assessments that provide a diagnostic assessment of FASD or ask about PAE. There was a significant positive correlation between the number of correct knowledge items and the psychologists' confidence in conducting FASD assessments. The clinical neuropsychologists demonstrated significantly greater knowledge and confidence in applying FASD diagnostic criteria and assessing PAE than school, clinical, and other psychologists. Most psychologists were more confident in their ability to apply the diagnostic criteria for other neurodevelopmental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Recognition of FASD is growing in Australia, however, further work is required to improve clinicians' understanding of and confidence in completing FASD assessments. Most participants indicated a preference for online training to learn more about FASD assessment.

Navigating the landscape: Roles, perspectives, and experiences of psychologists supporting gender diverse children and young people in school settings.

Purpose: This review aimed to explore and synthesize the perspectives and experiences of school-based psychological professionals providing support to gender diverse CYP across the world, to foreground the voices of those with relevant experience and support future practice. Methods: A systematic review of five databases (PsychINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, SCOPUS and PROQUEST dissertations and theses) was performed between September and November 2022. Articles were included if they contained qualitative, primary research data representing the voice of at least one school-based psychological professional with experience working with gender diverse children and young people. Articles were excluded if they did not contain primary research data, were quantitative, related to non-school based psychologists or focussed on participant views in the absence of direct experience working with gender diverse pupils. Articles were thematically summarized and organized into a data extraction table. Results: Eighteen studies were identified for review, including 11 studies based in the USA, five in the UK, one in Australia and one in Cyprus. The voices of school-based professionals, including school counselors, school psychologists, trainee and qualified educational psychologists, were represented. The themes created highlighted the importance of the environment in which psychologists were working, the reliance on their own views and values to guide their work in the absence of clear guidance, the role psychologists saw they had to advocate for gender diverse CYP, as well as barriers and systems they were fighting against. Conclusion: The review highlighted the need for psychologists to advocate for gender diverse children and young people, in an often non-inclusive environment where there was a need to work systemically with schools. Future research is needed to explore young people's experiences of the support that they are receiving and would like to receive.

Artificial intelligence and social intelligence: preliminary comparison study between AI models and psychologists.

Background: Social intelligence (SI) is of great importance in the success of the counseling and psychotherapy, whether for the psychologist or for the artificial intelligence systems that help the psychologist, as it is the ability to understand the feelings, emotions, and needs of people during the counseling process. Therefore, this study aims to identify the Social Intelligence (SI) of artificial intelligence represented by its large linguistic models, "ChatGPT; Google Bard; and Bing" compared to psychologists. Methods: A stratified random manner sample of 180 students of counseling psychology from the bachelor's and doctoral stages at King Khalid University was selected, while the large linguistic models included ChatGPT-4, Google Bard, and Bing. They (the psychologists and the AI models) responded to the social intelligence scale. Results: There were significant differences in SI between psychologists and AI's ChatGPT-4 and Bing. ChatGPT-4 exceeded 100% of all the psychologists, and Bing outperformed 50% of PhD holders and 90% of bachelor's holders. The differences in SI between Google Bard and bachelor students were not significant, whereas the differences with PhDs were significant; Where 90% of PhD holders excel on Google Bird. Conclusion: We explored the possibility of using human measures on AI entities, especially language models, and the results indicate that the development of AI in understanding emotions and social behavior related to social intelligence is very rapid. AI will help the psychotherapist a great deal in new ways. The psychotherapist needs to be aware of possible areas of further development of AI given their benefits in counseling and psychotherapy. Studies using humanistic and non-humanistic criteria with large linguistic models are needed.

Keeping Sane in a Changing Climate: Assessing Psychologists' Preparedness, Exposure to Climate-Health Impacts, Willingness to Act on Climate Change, and Barriers to Effective Action.

Evidence of the impact of climate change on mental health is growing rapidly, and healthcare professionals are being called to be active participants in protecting the population's health. Yet, little is known about psychologists' understanding of climate-health impacts and their role in mitigation actions. We surveyed Australian psychologists (N = 59) to examine preparedness in identifying and managing the impact of climate change on mental health, exposure to climate-health impacts, willingness to act, and barriers to acting on climate change. Data was analysed through descriptive and associative methods. We found that participants are not prepared to identify and manage mental health presentations related to climate change, and they are not engaged in climate change mitigation. We identified that a lack of knowledge of climate-health impacts and tackling and mitigation strategies, in addition to ethical concerns, were the main barriers to engagement with communication and advocacy. With the impacts of climate change on mental health expected to soar, there is a clear and urgent need to prepare the psychological workforce to address this public health issue by establishing professional education programs and reframing climate change as a health crisis.