Beliefs, attitudes towards, and experiences of using complementary and alternative medicine: A qualitative study of clinical psychologists in Indonesia

Introduction: Little is known about psychologists' beliefs, attitudes toward, and experiences of using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Exploring how psychologists' beliefs and attitudes toward CAM are developed may identify potential barriers toward integrating CAM in psychological education and services. Therefore, this study aims to explore clinical psychologists' beliefs, attitudes toward, and experiences of using CAM in Indonesia to reduce the understanding gap. Methods: Total population sampling was used to recruit 43 clinical psychologists in public health centres. They were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Then, the recordings were transcribed and analysed using deductive thematic analysis. Results: Six themes developed for beliefs and attitudes toward CAM and stretched along a continuum scale from negative to positive. Also, four themes arose for experiences of using CAM among the responses by participants: personal use, giving a recommendation, making a referral, and combining CAM into conventional psychotherapy. Participants often used CAM for themselves and family members but rarely integrated some CAM treatments into their clinical practice, especially when making a referral. Factors that affected beliefs, attitudes toward, and experiences of using CAM among participants were identified and discussed. Conclusions: Based on the qualitative findings, it is recommended that education about CAM should be included into clinical psychology education curricula to increase the likelihood of psychologists discussing CAM openly and scientifically with their clients. In addition, the government and psychology associations should standardise the practice of CAM integration into psychological services in order to provide more holistic psychological services.