Integrating Public Health Core Values Into Psychology Training Competencies

Abstract

Psychological science is committed to the research and use of evidence-based practice. To address the burden of mental illness, there is also a need to use psychological science for mental health advocacy and promotion. However, psychology training programs often focus on individual-level intervention instead of public health prevention in teaching, care delivery, and scholarship. Preparing psychologists to address population mental health and adequately serve all communities, especially those on the margins which our current system fails, will require moving beyond individual treatment and integrating public health values in training programs. We reflect on ways the Public Health Code of Ethics can be used to revise the current American Psychological Association psychology training competencies and discuss strategies psychology training programs can implement to train public-health oriented psychologists to move toward more ethical and effective practice.