Date of Award

2019-01-01

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

Advisor(s)

Char Ullman

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the field of prescribing psychology as it is practiced by providers and experienced by clients in New Mexico. Prescribing psychology is an emerging field of hybrid mental healthcare in which psychologists with special post-doctoral training can obtain prescriptive authority in certain jurisdictions. The study sought to take a client-centered approach to investigating the type and quality of care provided to clients by prescribing psychologists (RxPs). This study included a provider survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding health literacy and shared decision-making, and a client survey of satisfaction and experiences with care from RxPs . Results suggest that while prescribing psychologists (RxPs) may not use active strategies for promoting health literacy among their clients, pursuant to shared decision-making (SDM), they do feel trained and able to implement this latter client-centered practice with their patients. Furthermore, among the study sample, a majority of mental health care service users receiving care from RxPs reported that they were extremely satisfied with their care from these providers, particularly with regards to SDM. Analysis of the client survey data also suggests that RxPs are amenable to helping clients with social determinants of health, as well as their psychiatric needs. Additionally, qualitative analysis of open-ended comments provided for the client survey indicate that clients appreciate their RxPs for their hybrid skillsets, with a majority emphasizing the importance of the empathic skills these providers bring with them from the field of psychology to the practice of prescribing mental health care. This study is the first of its kind to take a client-centered and in-depth approach to exploring care delivered by RxPs and experienced by their clients, and thusly makes a major contribution to the literature.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

356 pages

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Ashley Graboski-Bauer

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