The Malta Chamber of Psychologist President, Ms. Gail Debono, attended a seminar organised by the Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) whereby they presented research on The Added Value of the Professional in Society, conducted by the MFPA, and funded through the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme, managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector.
The study was one that was thorough, and one which brought out some very salient points on the public’s perception of professionals in society. Among them, an interesting observation is that when asked what connotation is made with the phrase “Services by Professionals”, the largest percentage of respondents (25%) responded that the first connotation they make with the phrase “services by professionals” is with Physical and Mental Health Professionals.
The top priorities that respondents said they have when choosing a professional were a sound work ethic (52.2%), reasonable fees (48.7%), and the ability of the professional to communicate in a way a client would understand, in that order.
This is food for thought for us as professionals. The theme of professional ethics featured strongly in the results of the study. Although mental health professionals scored highest in adherence to professional ethics as per public opinion, Ms. Debono said that “At a mean score of 4.12, this must not be taken for granted, we must continue to strive to maintain and increase the level of trust that the public places in us. We must continue to hold ourselves to the highest ethical and professional standards; professionals must be aware that they are representing their profession in every area of their life, and not just during their hours of work.”
The research study and results may be accessed through this link: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZDVjNzQzNzItNzUyYi00YmE1LThlZmQtZDI2OWFjOTQwYTY1IiwidCI6IjczMjdkNTExLWQ3Y2QtNDZkNy05NDEzLTdkYjkzY2FlNGYwOSIsImMiOjh9.
The Malta Independent have published an article on this seminar, also providing a summary of the research methodology and results: https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2022-03-17/local-news/The-Added-Value-of-the-Professional-in-Society-The-perception-of-the-public-on-the-professional-6736241544
