KNUDEPUNKTER I DANSK PSYKOLOGIS UDVIKLING I ÅRENE 1940-2000

Abstract

Psychology in Denmark has developed very much during the period of time from 1940 to the year 2000. Only few students studied the subject before 1940 but it became obvious that psychology could be used to solve some of the problems, we were confronted with especially within the school system where a differentiation of teaching
was needed eventually in special classes or schools to help children with learning difficulties or handicaps. Also in other areas of the society we were exposed to problems which could be attacked from a psychological point of view. A new study (cand.psych.) was introduced at the University of Copenhagen in 1944 and the first group of candidates were graduated in 1947 after 3 years. This was the first keypoint in the development of psychology in Denmark at that time.
The second one was the establishment of the Danish Psychological Association. We felt that Danish psychologists missed an organisation, and right after the examination of the last student in June 1947 we came together at a meeting where a prepared draft for a constitution for the new association was passed. All psychologists in Denmark with an academic degree became members of the new association. We were about 50. Today we are 100 times more than that.
The third milestone was the legitimation of psychologists not just in Denmark but in all the Nordic countries. At a joint meeting of all these countries it was decided to ask the governments to prepare this legislation. A committee was set up in Denmark in 1962 and proposed a law for ligitimation of psychologists, but some members of The Danish Psychological Association felt, that a legitimation was not necessary when we had our academic degree and as the new law would encompass candidates from a new study (cand.pæd.psyk) from Lærerhøjskolen (The Royal Danish School of Educational Studies). A General Assembly in Danish Psychological Association forbid their members to apply for the new legitimation and the law was filed in the Ministry of Interior for quite a few years. However, in 1994 the psychologists in Denmark had their legitimation.A last milestone in the development of Psychology in Denmark was passed when
psychologists could open their own practice and their clients could obtain financial help from the National Health Care system, but it took some time before psychologists were accepted as members at many different departments at hospitals all over Denmark.