Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1049-9629
Defense Date
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Victoria A. Shivy
Second Advisor
Suzanne E. Mazzeo
Third Advisor
Joyce A. Lloyd
Abstract
Complementary Health Approaches (CHAs) encompass a diverse range of practices which are often used both independently and alongside conventional medical treatments. Understanding how graduate students training in different fields perceive CHAs is important because these professional trainees will go on to occupy roles as healthcare practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and consumers. This study used sequential rank agreement methods (Ekstrøm, Gerds, & Jensen, 2019) to investigate variations in perceptions of CHAs in a sample of graduate students (N = 416) from 140 possible training programs. Ratings of CHA familiarity, perceptions of CHA legitimacy, and willingness to recommend CHAs were compared among trainees from (a) clinical versus (b) academic training programs; and, within clinical fields, (c) mental health trainees versus (d) biomedical trainees. Overall, clinical trainees were more familiar with CHAs than academic trainees. In addition, and within the clinical cohort, mental health trainees were more familiar with CHAs and perceived them as more legitimate than biomedical trainees. Language used to characterize CHAs also was investigated, as were associations among key descriptive terminology, training background, and willingness to recommend CHAs.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
3-19-2024
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Cognition and Perception Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons, Health Policy Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, Medical Education Commons