An inpatient psychologist is a licensed mental health professional who works as part of a team at a hospital or mental institution, providing psychological services to patients who are admitted for more than a day. Inpatient psychologists are present in hospitals and medical centers to assess a variety of situations that arise in the healthcare setting, such as in the emergency department, where healthcare professionals may encounter suspected child abuse or a suicidal patient who requires immediate monitoring. The inpatient psychologist may be required to work on-call, meaning he or she will be available to help at any time of day or night at the hospital. Inpatient psychologists can include specialists such as clinical neuropsychologists.
Inpatient psychologists are available in many mental health facilities, including psychiatric units within acute care hospitals, to provide in-house assessments, counseling, and therapy services. The populations that psychiatric hospitals serve, as well as the level of restraint imposed on their patients, are used to classify them. Some focus on helping children and teenagers, while others only work with adults.
Inpatient psychologists are frequently employed by resident drug rehabilitation centers to assist patients in their recovery from drug abuse. Inpatient psychologists, also known as addiction psychologists, conduct group therapy and psychotherapy sessions in substance abuse facilities to assess and treat patients who are physically or psychologically addicted to illicit or prescription drugs. Aversion therapy, a type of drug abuse intervention that involves patients associating an unpleasant feeling or image with an unwanted behavior such as drinking alcohol or smoking, is frequently used by addiction psychologists.
An inpatient psychologist may specialize in a field such as clinical neuropsychology, a branch of psychology that studies how physiology, particularly that of the brain, influences people’s behavior. They assist patients with conditions that affect neurological function, such as brain trauma and stroke. For example, if a patient suffers a brain injury as a result of an accident, the neuropsychologist would become a member of the patient’s healthcare team, working with doctors to determine the extent of neurological dysfunction. Neuropsychologists can assist doctors in determining effective treatment and rehabilitation as well as potential patient outcomes by conducting neuropsychological assessments. Neuropsychologists frequently specialize in pediatrics or a specific diagnosis like Parkinson’s disease or mental retardation.
To work as an inpatient psychologist, you must first earn a doctorate in clinical psychology (PhD or PsyD), then complete a year-long internship and a post-doctoral residency in a field like clinical neuropsychology or primary healthcare psychology. Clinical neuropsychologists may need to obtain board certification in addition to their regular license, depending on their intended practice area. After completing a residency and passing a certifying examination, board certification is awarded.