Indonesian Clinical Psychologists’ Perception of Complementary-alternative Medicine Research and Knowledge: A Content Analysis Study

This study investigates a qualitative component of a nationwide online survey about complementary-alternative medicine (CAM) among clinical psychologists (CP) in Indonesia. Two open ended-questions were asked at the end of the survey: “What do you think about CAM research in Indonesia?” and “Why are you interested in learning about CAM?” Responses from 127 participants (of 274 participants who responded to the online survey) were analysed using content analysis. It was found that a global theme for CP’s perception of CAM research was to improve participants’ professionalism; and a global theme for perception of CAM knowledge was that it forms a part of health professionals’ continuing education and development. The favourable responses in this study may reflect participants’ willingness to be involved in collaborative CAM research and education. The unique findings from this study of Indonesian CP, compared to psychologists from developed nations, was that CAM is perceived as part of Indonesian culture; and participants viewed CAM research and knowledge as a chance to promote Indonesian local wisdom to complement conventional psychotherapy.