| This study presents a review of the history of development of the Internet focusing on its impact on the field of clinical psychology. Applications of Internet technologies are highlighted in the areas of direct clinical services, assessment and testing, consultation, and online data collection. One thousand psychologists in the United States received a survey questionnaire by mail examining basic demographic information, ethical concerns about Internet technologies in clinical psychology, a brief assessment of the participants' access to and competence with Internet technology, and a detailed list of possible applications of Internet technology in the field of clinical psychology. Participants indicated the frequency with which they use email, the World Wide Web, chat-rooms, video conferencing, and the telephone to accomplish a wide variety of tasks. These items were grouped into clinical; administrative; professional development; and education, training and consultation tasks. Participants returned 273 valid surveys. Results suggest that clinicians use Internet technologies for non-clinical tasks more frequently than for clinical tasks. Frequency of Internet use in the clinical practice was shown to be positively correlated with the belief that the Internet is a helpful tool for the clinical practice. The data showed that clinicians working in institutional settings use the Internet in the clinical practice more frequently than clinicians in individual practice settings. The implications of these findings are discussed and future research methods are proposed. |
