Psychology and the Department of Veterans Affairs: A historical analysis of training, research, practice, and advocacy.

Psychology and medical education: A historical perspective from the United States

“…[ 18 ] In settings as diverse as medical schools, general hospitals, psychiatry departments, Veterans Affairs hospitals and many others, psychologists contributed to the understanding of health and disease. [ 19 ] The specialty of Health Psychology became an APA Division in 1978 and was a strong indicator of the role of psychology and psychologists in the provision of an high-quality health-care delivery. [ 20 ]…”

Tension and opportunity in post-World War II American psychology.

“…In an era rich in the development of assessment tools, McReynolds was an expert. He developed and employed sophisticated assessment instruments in his research on motivation and the role of cognitive processes in schizophrenia (Baker & Pickren, 2007;McReynolds, 1965McReynolds, , 1968. He and other young psychologists followed an already well-worn path of paper-and-pencil tests used to assess a range of abilities, traits, and conditions (e.g., Allport, 1927Allport, , 1928Hathaway & McKinley, 1943;Lorr, 1954).…”

Department of Veterans Affairs.

“…The 1946 legislation that created the Neuropsychiatry Division and other clinical departments within the VA gave these departments responsibility for oversight of medical care (Baker & Pickren, 2007). The legislation also allowed the clinical departments to establish affiliations with medical schools to help train physicians and nurses to work in VA hospitals.…”

“…In spring 1946, James Grier Miller, on leave from his position at Harvard University, was released from the Army Medical Corps and Office of Strategic Services and appointed the first chief of the VA clinical psychology program. He was given the task of hiring 500 doctoral-level psychologists for the VA-a number almost equaling that of psychologists with doctoral-level clinical training in the entire country at that time (Baker & Pickren, 2007). In addition to the short supply of doctoral-level clinical psychologists, Miller observed that the clinical training being provided by universities lacked an organized curriculum, a conclusion that had also been reached by others (Sears, 1946).…”

“…In addition to the short supply of doctoral-level clinical psychologists, Miller observed that the clinical training being provided by universities lacked an organized curriculum, a conclusion that had also been reached by others (Sears, 1946). Miller decided that the VA would have to play a role in helping to train the psychologists needed to provide quality treatment for veterans.The 1946 legislation that created the Neuropsychiatry Division and other clinical departments within the VA gave these departments responsibility for oversight of medical care (Baker & Pickren, 2007). The legislation also allowed the clinical departments to establish affiliations with medical schools to help train physicians and nurses to work in VA hospitals.…”