A national survey of trainee impairment in clinical, counseling, and school psychology doctoral programs and internships

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency, type, and management of trainee impairment at a national level across doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology and predoctoral internships. A total of 199 surveys were completed, returned, and usable. In general, doctoral programs reported a greater frequency of trainee impairment than internships. However, a greater percentage of internships had a policy and program in place for managing impairments than did doctoral programs. These findings are compared with past studies and reviews of this issue. In light of these findings, specific implications for training programs are discussed, with the recommendation that training programs address more attention to the assessment and management of such problems.