Learning about, from and with other professions: A systematic review of interprofessional education within psychology teaching programs

Abstract Psychology regulation bodies increasingly recognise interprofessional education (IPE) as important in equipping students for modern practice. In this article we report the first comprehensive systematic review of IPE among psychology students. We appraise and summarise the literature about the use of IPE in undergraduate and postgraduate psychology programs in the last 10 years. PRISMA methods were used in a systematic review of 10 electronic databases from May 2009 to May 2019. We included 19 studies comprising a sample of approximately 3447 participants with most studies conducted in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Australia. Programs varied in scope ranging from interactions between psychology and one other discipline to up to 25 different degrees. All quantitative studies reported at least some positive results in areas such as attitudes towards interprofessional team work. Four of the five qualitative studies reported positive outcomes, and findings from the mixed-methods studies were similarly positive. Problems identified included challenges with remaining in scope of practice and issues with team dynamics. Overall, the review demonstrated that promising research exists regarding the impact of IPE on psychology students’ knowledge and attitudes and that the use and evaluation of IPE should be encouraged The evidence base requires improvement however via the inclusion of higher-level study designs, larger psychology cohorts and investigation of the effects of IPE on professional competencies and behaviour.