High requirements make recruitment difficult
By Emmy Lau
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The ratio of one clinical psychologist to every 75,000 people in Hong Kong indicates an intense demand for psychologists.Dr. Freedom Y.K. Leung, lecturer in the Psychology Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, pointed out that psychologists are indispensable in society nowadays.
Dr. Leung said, “It is obvious that stress has become a common problem of urban dwellers.
“Family relations have become more harmonious, but the pressure from jobs and school performance is increasing.
“Societal problems like juvenile delinquency have become more complicated. Counselling services provided by social workers are not always sufficient,” said Dr. Leung.
In many agencies, psychologists are urgently needed. The Social Welfare Department, the Education Department, the Correctional Services Department and the Medical and Health Bureau all ask for more psychologists.
Clinical psychologists are only available in a few hospitals like Queen Mary Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital.
Even Queen Mary Hospital has only three full-time psychologists.
According to the Kowloon Union Church Wai Li Hostel, clinical psychologists are in severe shortage.
For example, there is only one psychiatrist from Siu Lam Hospital visiting 50 patients every four to six weeks.
Patients with psychological or mental problems can only wait to be transferred to clinical psychologists.
The Special Education Unit of the Education Department is responsible for mental assessments, counselling, case work and training of teachers and social workers.
The heavy workload of the educational psychologists is shared by other colleagues in the unit.
Mrs. K.F.Chow, an educational psychologist of the unit, said, “I can remember that there was only one new colleague joined us for the past two years. Meanwhile, two colleagues have resigned.”
Recruitment is also a serious problem.
Every year, only 10 clinical psychologists graduate from the University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Of some 170 who graduate annually with psychology degrees from the two universities, only about 10 students take up the masters degree course.
Mrs. Chow commented, “It seems that the requirement rate is high, but the salary and benefits are not attractive enough.”
She was afraid that the job will be less attractive for the next generation.
Dr. Leung disagreed.
He said, “The starting salary is no doubt attractive. It is about $29,000 to $60,000.
“In fact, the question of limited supply lies on many sides.
“First, few students will take up the masters degree course to be a professional psychologist. Hong Kong youngsters are more eager to earn money.
“Moreover, the requirements for taking the masters degree course are very strict. Students must get first, or second upper honour when they graduate from the degree course,” said Dr. Leung.
He said that brain drain is another problem.
“Experienced and professional psychologists, trainers and lecturers are continuously leaving Hong Kong,” said Dr. Leung.
Mrs. Chow said that service profession like psychological counselling can never reach a satisfactory level.
In fact, improvement of the psychological services has been significant within these few years.
Dr. Leung said, “The government is putting more money into this field, compared to the past.”
The government has asked the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University to increase the number of degrees in psychology from next year onwards.
The government also proposed to train those professions like social workers to take up some of the psychologists’ duties.
Besides, recruiting psychologists from overseas can also be a solution.
According to the spokesperson of the Health and Welfare Branch’s working party on
the allied health professions, the shortfall of psychologists will not be cleared
until 2004 or 2005.
