The “Certified Public Psychologists Act” was passed in 2015, establishing a national certification that had long been sought by professionals in the field of psychology. In addition to the services traditionally provided by psychological professionals, the Act emphasizes the importance of inter-professional collaboration, explicitly stating the obligation to work alongside other professions. In associated with this, the first examination for certified public psychologists was conducted in September 2018, producing the first qualified psychologist in February 2019. This paper describes the background leading to the establishment of Certified Public Psychologists, examines the current state five years after their inception, and discusses future challenges.

The role of certified public psychologists is becoming increasingly important not only in conducting psychological interviews and tests but also in multidisciplinary collaboration. Their contributions within general hospitals are undeniable; however, the recognition of their services in terms of medical fee evaluations remained limited until the revision in fiscal year 2020. Since then, the work of certified public psychologists has gained increasing recognition. Medical fee points have now been allocated for their activities not only in psychological interviews, but also in emergency medicine, perinatal care, reproductive medicine, and addiction treatment. The role of certified public psychologists is expected to expand further as a result of task shifting based on a physician’s work style reforms. With the support of medical fees, we look forward to further contributions from certified public psychologists.

More than five years have passed since the establishment of the licensed psychologists. Psychologists have long played the role of psychiatric liaison as part of the psychiatric liaison team. By becoming licensed psychologists, the understanding of the work of psychologists has improved within hospitals. As a result, they are increasingly performing independent liaison activities not only as part of the psychiatric liaison team, but also as part of the physical medical team. Licensed psychologists and psychiatrists need to continue to respect each other, reconcile their different mental models, and work together. In the future of psychiatric liaison, the fields in which licensed psychologists can play an active role will continue to expand. It is hoped that licensed psychologists will be included in the medical fee payment system in the liaison field.

This report examines the role and challenges of Certified Public Psychologists in general hospitals, focusing on their collaboration with Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses (liaison nurses). Certified public psychologists provide mental health care to patients with physical illnesses and their families, while also supporting medical treatment in cooperation with other healthcare professionals. Their role involves the early identification of psychological issues in patients, incorporating these findings into the treatment plan, and providing mental health support for hospital staff. Through collaboration with liaison nurses, integrated physical and mental care for patients can be achieved, leading to higher quality healthcare. Required skills include understanding physical illnesses by sharing knowledge with liaison nurses and others, responding flexibly without being confined to structured psychotherapy, and crisis intervention without handling issues alone. In the future, certified public psychologists are expected to further demonstrate their expertise as key members of multidisciplinary teams.

Tobu Hospital is a regional core facility with 562 beds, offering acute care, tertiary emergency services, and advanced medical treatment. As of July 2024, the hospital had 9 psychologists. The Psychologist Section was launched at the same time as the hospital's opening in 2007. However, at first, the goals of the organization were not well defined, and the chain of command was not in place. Despite this, we psychologists were not assigned to any specific department, but responded flexibly to the psychological needs across various departments, medical teams, wards, and outpatient services. Through a process of trial and error, we gradually earned the trust of other medical professionals by establishing areas where each psychologist could showcase their expertise. As a result, we believe we have fostered a sense of trust, where staff feel comfortable seeking psychological support from our psychologists when needed. We aim to reflect on our trial-and-error process, assess the current situation, and explore future directions.

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale version 4 (MICA-4), a tool designed to gauge attitudes towards mental illness and mental health care. The scale is tailored for those working in the health care sector and for students aspiring to become professionals in this field. Its face validity was confirmed through a translation process aligning with the guidelines of the ISPOR Task Force. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of 323 nurses and 116 medical students revealed that the Japanese version of MICA-4 exhibited a three-factor structure, demonstrating internal consistency and retest reliability. Some subscales of the Japanese version of MICA-4 showed positive correlations with the Devaluation-Discrimination Scale and negative correlations with the Intention to Help-Seeking Scale, indicating a certain level of construct validity. The Japanese version of MICA-4 can be used with the same 16 items as the original version and its foreign language counterparts, indicating its applicability for international comparisons.

The experiences of young male cancer peer support group (PSG) participants in an inpatient ward were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA). Each categorization was made from the 35 concepts generated. The following key experiences and new insights were identified in peer support: “facing death and the will to live,” “discovering meaning in life,” “casual conversations,” “acting as a bridge,” “confronting reality,” and “trust in doctors and understanding of health care professionals.” In addition to gaining insights such as role models through peer support, PSG is seen as a space where individuals can engage in casual, open conversations, helping to restore a lost sense of self and enabling them to live authentically. This study will enhance the understanding of peer support and promote its implementation in medical institutions that have not yet adopted it.

Background: Psychological interventions are effective in reducing anxiety and depression in cancer patients. However, psychological interventions include various elements in addition to each psychotherapeutic technique, which are difficult for patients and healthcare providers to understand. Therefore, this study aimed to categorize psychological interventions for cancer patients based on interviews with clinical psychologists. Methods: Study participants were clinical psychologists engaged in oncology or psychiatry. Between January and March 2017, a research information poster was publicly posted on the researcher's website, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the clinical psychologists who applied for this study. Based on the interview results, psychological interventions for cancer patients were categorized using qualitative content analysis. Results: Six major categories (introduction of psychological interview, structured psychological techniques, unstructured psychological support, symptom assessment, multi-professional support, and family support) were identified as the contents of psychological interventions for cancer patients. Of the 56 subcategories, “Introducing myself as a psychologist,” “Not using specific structural techniques,” “Gathering information from other professionals,” and “Conducting lectures to ward staff” were frequently mentioned by clinical psychologists engaged in oncology. Conclusion: This study categorized the content characteristics of psychological interventions for cancer patients. The results suggest that psychological interventions for cancer patients are often provided with a smooth introduction through collaboration with other professionals and conducted with natural conversations about daily life, illness, and treatment.