Development of professional competencies among psychology interns

A comparative analysis across clinical settings

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/6njwxk44

Keywords:

Professional Competencies, Clinical Settings , Psychology Internship

Abstract

The postpandemic rise in mental health disorders has intensified the demand for well-trained clinical psychologists, underscoring the importance of rigorous professional preparation. This study examined the preparedness of psychology interns completing accredited programs by assessing professional competencies across general hospitals, mental health clinics, and neuropsychological medical settings. Competency attainment was evaluated using five core domains established by the American Psychological Association’s accreditation guidelines (Version 3.0): theoretical foundations, scientific thinking, values in psychological science, effective communication, and personal and professional development. The sample comprised 630 evaluations of psychology interns in Colombia (63% female) aged 22–35 years (M = 27.5, SD = 5.30). The results indicated that competency levels varied by clinical setting. Interns achieved the highest scores in general hospitals, reflecting greater readiness to address diverse clinical demands. In contrast, the lowest scores were observed in neuropsychological centers, highlighting the need to strengthen diagnostic skills and specialized communication. 

Author Biographies

  • Jharitza Pullchz, Universidad de la Costa, Colombia

    JHARITZA PULLCHZ, BS, is a Peruvian psychologist and recent graduate of the Psychology Program at Universidad de la Costa and is currently awaiting the official conferral of her professional degree in psychology. She completed her academic training through an international double-degree program between Universidad Continental (Peru) and Universidad de la Costa (Colombia), an experience that strengthened her intercultural and international academic formation. Her interests include clinical psychology and mental health. Email: jpullchz@cuc.edu.co. Orcid:0009-0001-8855-1792

  • Dayana Restrepo, Taylor University, United States

    DAYANA RESTREPO, PhD, is a Full Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at Universidad de la Costa (CUC), Colombia, where she serves as Editorial Coordinator of Cultura Educación y Sociedad Journal, and leads the Research Group in Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology. Her research focuses on mental health, psychology training competencies, and the influence of sociocultural and economic factors on psychological well-being. 

  • Martha Benitez-Barraza, Cuidalab Research and Wellness, Colombia

    MARTHA BENÍTEZ BARRAZA, MSc, is a Clinical Psychologist and Coordinator of Undergraduate and Graduate Clinical Practice in the Department of Social Sciences at Universidad de la Costa in Colombia. Her major research interests include clinical psychology, psychotraumatology, EMDR therapy, and the development of clinical competencies in professional training contexts. 

References

Adeghe, E. P., Adegoke, B. O., Adegoke, A. A., & Udedeh, E. H. (2024). Mental health management in healthcare organizations: Challenges and strategies—A review. International Medical Science Research Journal, 4(5), 585–605. https://doi.org/10.51594/imsrj.v4i5.1157

American Psychological Association. (2015). Standards of accreditation for health service psychology and accreditation operating procedures (Revisions approved 2017, 2018, 2019). https://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/about/policies/

American Psychological Association. (2023). APA guidelines for the undergraduate psychology major (Version 3.0). https://www.apa.org/about/policy/undergraduate-psychology-major.pdf

Arifin, Z., Sukarmin, Saputro, S., & Kamari, A. (2025). The effect of inquiry-based learning on students’ critical thinking skills in science education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 21(3), em2592. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15988

Australian Psychology Accreditation Council. (2019). Accreditation standards for psychology programs (Version 1.2). https://www.psychologycouncil.org.au

Bernard, J. M., & Goodyear, R. K. (2019). Fundamentals of clinical supervision (6th ed.). Pearson.

British Psychological Society. (2022). Qualification in clinical neuropsychology (QiCN). https://www.bps.org.uk

Callahan, J. L., & Watkins, C. E., Jr. (2018). The science of training III: Supervision, competency, and internship training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 12(4), 245–261. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000208

Canadian Psychological Association. (2011). Accreditation standards and procedures for doctoral programmes and internships in professional psychology. https://cpa.ca

Chaskel, R., Gaviria, S. L., Espinel, Z., Taborda, E., van Kessel, G., & Shultz, J. M. (2015). Mental health in Colombia: A public health priority. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 31(4), 663–676. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311X00165113

Chen, T.-K. (2025). Internships as intercultural learning: A thematic analysis of Taiwanese design students in Japan. Journal of International Students, 15(11), 33–54. https://doi.org/10.32674/ke1pdc16

Colombian College of Psychologists (COLPSIC), & Colombian Association of Psychology Faculties (ASCOFAPSI). (2024). Update of professional competencies in health psychology in Colombia. https://www.colpsic.org.co/noticias/documento-sobre-actualizacion-de-las-competencias-del-profesional-de-psicologia-en-el-area-de-la-salud/

Congress of the Republic of Colombia. (2006, September 6). Law 1090 of 2006: Regulation of the professional practice of psychology, establishment of the deontological and bioethical code, and other provisions (Official Gazette No. 46,383). https://sidn.ramajudicial.gov.co/SIDN/NORMATIVA/TEXTOS_COMPLETOS/7_LEYES/LEYES%202006%20%281005-1121%29/Ley%201090%20de%202006%20%28Reglamenta%20profesi%C3%B3n%20de%20psicolog%C3%ADa%29.pdf

Cornejo Ochoa, W. (2018). The teaching of psychology in Colombia: The challenges for the discipline and high quality. International Journal of Psychological Research, 11(1), 6–8. https://doi.org/10.21500/20112084.3380

Dyason, K. M., Shanley, D. C., Hawkins, E., Morrissey, S. A., & Lambert, M. J. (2019). A systematic review of research in psychology training clinics: How far have we come? Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 13(1), 4–20. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000196

European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations. (2015). EuroPsy: European certificate in psychology—Regulations and procedures. https://www.europsy.eu

Ferreras, J. M. G., & Wagenaar, R. (2023). Tuning in higher education: Ten years on. Tuning Journal for Higher Education, 11(1), 33–47. https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe.2879

Fouad, N. A., Hatcher, R. L., & McCutcheon, S. (2022). Introduction to the special issue on competency in training and education. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 16(2), 109–111. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000408

Gonsalvez, C., Deane, F., Terry, J., & Hoong, C. (2020). Anatomy of psychology practitioner competence: A clustering approach reveals the hierarchical organization of competencies. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 27, Article e12347. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12347

Gonsalvez, C. J., Shafranske, E. P., McLeod, H. J., & Falender, C. A. (2021). Competency-based standards and guidelines for psychology practice in Australia: Opportunities and risks. Clinical Psychologist, 25(3), 244–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/13284207.2020.1829943

Halonen, J. S., Dunn, D. S., Kreiner, D. S., Lewis, L., Mena, J. A., Naufel, K. Z., ... Thompson, J. L. (2023). APA guidelines for the undergraduate psychology major, version 3.0: Empowering people to make a difference in their lives and communities. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/undergraduate-psychology-major.pdf

Hamer, K., Penczek, M., Marcinkowska, K., Nowak, B., Branowska, K., Sparkman, D., Loy, L. S., Baran, M., Okvitawanli, A., Gkinopoulos, T., Hackett, J. D., Bertin, P., Carmona, M., Guerra, R., Wlodarczyk, A., Akello, G., Albarello, F., Ashraf, M., Bednarowicz, M., … Yemelyanova, Y. (2026). Beyond WEIRD societies: Global social identifications across 45 countries and their sociocultural and economic predictors. Political Psychology, 47, e70134. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.70134

International Neuropsychological Society. (2017). INS education and training guidelines. https://the-ins.org/resources/education-and-training-guidelines/

Kuittinen, M., & Räty, H. (2015). Becoming a graduate professional psychologist: In what ways are professional competencies perceived? International Journal of Psychological Studies, 7(2), 18. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijps.v7n2p18

Ma, C. F., Luo, H., Leung, S. F., Wong, G. H. Y., Lam, R. P. K., Bastiampillai, T., ... Chan, S. K. W. (2023). Impact of community mental health services on adult psychiatric admissions through the emergency unit: A 20-year population-based study. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, 39, 100814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100814

MacCann, C., Jiang, Y., Brown, L. E. R., Double, K. S., Bucich, M., & Minbashian, A. (2020). Emotional intelligence predicts academic performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(2), 150–186. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000219

Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia. (2023). Ministry of Health survey reveals that 66.3% of Colombians report having experienced a mental health problem. https://www.minsalud.gov.co/Paginas/66-porciento-de-colombianos-declara-haber-enfrentado-algun-problema-de-salud-mental.aspx

Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia. (2025). Registro Especial de Prestadores de Servicios de Salud (REPS) [Special Registry of Health Care Providers]: Database of registered health care providers and services within the Colombian health service authorization system. https://prestadores.minsalud.gov.co/habilitacion/

Ministry of National Education of Colombia. (2010). Decree 2376 of 2010: Partial regulation of Law 115 of 1994 concerning higher education curricula and professional training frameworks (Official Gazette No. 48,161). https://www.mineducacion.gov.co/1621/articles-177194_recurso_1.pdf

Nicholson Perry, K., Donovan, M., Knight, R., & Shires, A. (2017). Addressing professional competency problems in clinical psychology trainees. Australian Psychologist, 52(2), 121–129. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12268

Pan American Health Organization. (2023). Mental health conditions in the Region of the Americas: Prevalence, burden, and trends. PAHO. https://www.paho.org

Pinquart, M., & Bernardo, A. B. I. (2014). The results of the IUPsyS survey on psychology education and training worldwide. In R. K. Silbereisen, P. J.-L. Ritchie, & J. Pandey (Eds.), Psychology education and training: A global perspective (pp. 21–44). Psychology Press.

Rakowska, A., & de Juana-Espinosa, S. (2021). Ready for the future? Employability skills and competencies in the twenty-first century: The view of international experts. Human Systems Management, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-201118

Reinert, M., Fritze, D., & Nguyen, T. (2024). The state of mental health in America 2024. Mental Health America. http://hdl.handle.net/10713/22688

Shelley, J., Rock, A. J., Schutte, N., Cosh, S. M., & Rice, K. (2025). Accessibility and competency development: Student experiences of a simulated practicum in postgraduate psychology training. Australian Journal of Psychology, 77(1), 2530961. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2025.2530961

Skovholt, T. M., & Trotter-Mathison, M. (2016). The resilient practitioner: Burnout prevention and self-care strategies for counselors, therapists, teachers, and health professionals (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Weisenmuller, C. M., & Luzier, J. L. (2023). Technology is a core competency in professional psychology. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 17(3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000423

World Health Organization. (2022). Global competency framework for universal health coverage. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240034686

Xu, S., Mansor, A. N., & Amat, S. (2025). Higher education strategies for enhancing employability of international students: A systematic review in the postpandemic era. Journal of International Students, 15(5), 117–138.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-05

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 16 (2026): Journal of International Students

Section

Research Articles (English, regular edition)

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Jharitza Pullchz, Dayana Restrepo, Martha Benitez-Barraza

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

How to Cite

Pullchz, J., Restrepo, D., & Benitez-Barraza, M. . (2026). Development of professional competencies among psychology interns: A comparative analysis across clinical settings. Journal of International Students, 16(16), 165-190. https://doi.org/10.32674/6njwxk44