Singapore faces shortage of psychologists amid rising demand for mental health services
The gap comes amid growing awareness of mental well-being and an increasing number of people seeking professional help.
by Caitlin Ng · CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
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SINGAPORE: As demand for mental health support rises, Singapore is facing a shortage of psychologists, according to a professional association.
The gap comes amid growing awareness of mental well-being and an increasing number of people seeking professional help in recent years.
But training new psychologists is not a quick fix, said observers. Lengthy qualification pathways and limited local training avenues remain key challenges in expanding the workforce.
CHALLENGES FACING ASPIRING PSYCHOLOGISTS
Psychology undergraduate Jerein Sandrasageran knows firsthand how daunting the journey to becoming a qualified psychologist can be.
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For a decade, the sports coach watched his athletes struggle with confidence issues, intense pressure and fear of failure. Wanting to better support them, the 34-year-old decided to pursue a psychology degree from Murdoch University at Kaplan.
“It's a long path to truly becoming a private psychologist or professional psychologist in whatever field we decide,” he said.
“We know that we need postgraduate studies to be accepted or to really do the job, and we need experience as well.
“So we're kind of caught in the middle where we don't really have the experience, we don't really have the further education to do it. And if we don't have opportunities to gain the experience effectively, then we'll just be stuck.”
It typically takes about seven years to become a qualified psychologist, starting with an undergraduate degree.
Graduates must then complete clinical placements to gain supervised experience before applying for a postgraduate programme.
Costs can also be a hurdle, especially if candidates have to pursue overseas options due to limited local programmes.
Dr Pearlene Ng, vice-president of the Singapore Psychological Society, said the decision to become a qualified psychologist “takes a lot of sacrifice, not just for themselves but for their family as well”.
She also highlighted placement constraints. Placements are often limited, and there is a shortage of qualified supervisors, leaving many aspiring psychologists struggling to progress.
Even when students secure placements, they still need to see clients who are willing to work with them in order to clock the required training hours, said Dr Ng, who is herself a clinical psychologist.
But she pointed out that members of the public are often reluctant to consult interns or psychologists-in-training, reducing opportunities for trainees to gain practical experience.
The society is now exploring partnerships with institutes of higher learning to expand placement sites and better prepare students for the industry.
STRENGTHENING THE PROFESSION
The National University of Singapore (NUS) recently launched an accelerated pathway that allows students to complete their training in five years instead of the usual seven.
Dr Lohsnah Jeevanandam, director of the clinical psychology programme at NUS’ Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, explained that the new structure follows a three-plus-two format – three years of undergraduate study followed by a two-year master’s programme.
“The undergraduate (part) is compressed, and they have got fewer degrees of freedom with their unrestricted electives,” she noted, adding that students also no longer need one year of work experience before pursuing their master’s degree.
However, they now have to complete certain courses, in contrast to being able to do the courses they wanted in the past.
Dr Lohsnah said courses have also been redesigned to be more hands-on, rather than focused mainly on theory.
In another move to uplift the sector, psychologists in certain disciplines will be required to register to practise in Singapore. This is aimed at enhancing professional standards, ensuring patient safety and improving access to mental health services.
Dr Ng of the Singapore Psychological Society said this would protect the public’s interests by ensuring that those treating clients practise ethically, meet the necessary requirements and have the appropriate training to provide care at the required standard.
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