THE REGULATION OF THE PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Main Article Content
Abstract
This article deals with the regulation of the psychiatric and psychology professions in South Africa. It starts by explaining the concepts of profession and professionalism. Then it explains the statutory framework responsible for the psychiatric and psychology professions. It further deals with disciplinary enquiries against the psychiatric and psychology professions. It also deals with the psychiatrist and psychologist in court and is then concluded with conclusive remarks.
Article Details
How to Cite
SWANEPOEL, - et al.
THE REGULATION OF THE PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 14, n. 6, june 2026.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/7612>. Date accessed: 02 july 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v14i6.7612.
Section
Research Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
References
1. 1Twain M, as quoted in Ethics in psychology and mental health professions: Standards and cases ((eds) Koocher G, Keith-Spiegel P). 2008. 3.
2. 2The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
3. 3The Health Professions Act 56 of 1974 as amended by Act 89 of 1997 (hereafter referred to as the Health Professions Act).
4. 4Section 15 of the Health Professions Act.
5. 5Section 15 of the Health Professions At.
6. 6The Traditional Health Practitioners Act 35 of 2004.
7. 7Greenblatt M. "Law and ethics in psychiatric administration". 68-75 in Principles and practice of forensic psychiatry ((ed) Rosner R). 2019. 68.
8. 8Carstens PA, Pearmain DL. Foundational Principles of South African Medical Law. 606-607.
9. 9Frevert U. "Professional medicine and the working classes in imperial Germany". 1985 Journal of Contemporary History 4; 637-658.
10. 10Lloyd PJ. "A history of medical professionalisation in NSW; 1788-1950". 1994 Australian Health Review 2; 14.
11. 11Burnham JC. "How the concept of profession evolved in the work of historians of medicine". 2002 Bulletin History of Medicine 1; 1-2.
12. 12Shorr P. "Sir John Friend (1675-1728) M.D. pioneer historian of medicine". 1937 Isis 3; 453.
13. 13Clark G. "The history of the medical profession: Aims and methods". 1966 Medical History ;: 213.
14. 14Shorr. 1937 Isis 453, 454.
15. 15London School of Economics and Political Science, Suntory-Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines, IngentaConnect. (Online service), JSTOR (Organization), OCLC FirstSearch Electronic Collections Online, Synergy (Online service) Economica. (1923) 189.
16. 16Newsholme A. "The measurement of progress in public health with special reference to the life and work of William Farr" 1923 Economica 186, 189.
17. 17Huisman F, Warner JH. (eds) Locating medical history: The stories and their meanings. 2004 5.
18. 18Light D, Levine S. "The changing character of the medical profession: A theoretical overview". 1988 Milbank Q 2: 10,12.
19. 19Freidson E. Professionalism reborn: Theory, prophecy, and policy. 1994 47-92, 147-216.
20. 20Freidson E. "The reorganization of the medical profession" 1985 Medical Care Review 11.
21. 21Goldstein J. "Foucault among the sociologists: The 'disciplines' and the history of professions" 1984 History & Theory 2; 170.
22. 22Ebenezer H, Baas JH. Outlines of the history of medicine and the medical profession. 1889 947, 1123.
23. 23Coppock, Hopton. 117, 155.
24. 24Marx OM. "What is the history of psychiatry?" 1992 3 Historical Psychiatry 11; 279, 281.
25. 25Broman T. "University reform in medical thought at the end of the eighteenth century" 1989 Osiris 2; 36.
26. 26Smith HL. "Psychiatry in medicine: Intra-or-inter-professional relationships?". 1957 American Journal of Sociology 3; 285, 286.
27. 27Arrington RL, Beversluis J. (eds) A companion to the philosophers 1999. 4.
28. 28Nicholas L. "Introduction" 1-8 in Introduction to psychology ((ed) Nicholas L.) 2008 1-2.
29. 29Sternberg RJ. Psychology: In search of the human mind 200) 11.
30. 30See s 1.
31. 31S 3(a-i).
32. 32S 4(a-f).
33. 33S 10(1)(a-b).
34. 34S 10(2).
35. 35S 10(3).
36. 36S 10(5).
37. 37S 10(6).
38. 38Carstens, Pearmain. 253-254.
39. 39Van Niekerk JP. "HPCSA: A mess in the Health Department's pocket" 2020 S African Medical Journal 4; 203.
40. 40S 15B(1)(a-g).
41. 41Carstens, Pearmain. 259.
42. 42These conditions are set out in s 52(2).
43. 43S 52(1)(a).
44. 44S 52(1)(b).
45. 45S 53(1).
46. 46S 53(2).
47. 47S 53(3)(a).
48. 48S 53(4).
49. 49Rosner R, Weinstock R. (eds) Ethical practice in psychiatry and the law 2000 52.
50. 50Rosner Ethical practice in psychiatry and the law 52.
51. 51See s 1 of the Act.
52. 52S 5(a-h).
53. 53S 7(a-i).
54. 54S 44(1).
55. 55Strauss SA. Doctor, patient and the law 131.
56. 56Carstens, Pearmain. 861;
57. 57Schmidt CWH. Bewysreg 2000 463.
58. 58Van Wyk v Lewis 1924 AD 438 447-448.
59. 59Carstens, Pearmain. 860.
60. 60Kaliski S. "Introduction" 1-7 in Psycholegal assessment in South Africa ((ed) Kaliski S). 2006 2-3.
61. 61S 72.
62. 62Michael v Linksfield Park Clinic 1200A-1201F.
63. 63Bush SS. (eds) Ethical practice in forensic psychology: A systematic model for decision making 2016 28-34.
64. 64Bryant BK, VandenBos GR, Greenwood.
65. 65Bush. 2024 35.
66. 66Koocher, Keith-Spiegel. 479.
67. 67S 1 of the Health Professions Act.
68. 68Carstens, Pearmain. 262.
69. 69Carstens, Pearmain. 279.
70. 70S 111(1).
71. 71S 111(2).
72. 72S 111(3).
73. 73S 110(1).
74. 74S 110(2).
75. 75S 109.
76. 76S 106(1).
77. 77S 107(3).
78. 78S 108(1).
79. 79S 108(2).
80. 80Allan A, Meintjies-Van der Walt. in Psycholegal assessment in South Africa 353.
81Canter MB. Ethics for psychologists 70.
2. 2The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
3. 3The Health Professions Act 56 of 1974 as amended by Act 89 of 1997 (hereafter referred to as the Health Professions Act).
4. 4Section 15 of the Health Professions Act.
5. 5Section 15 of the Health Professions At.
6. 6The Traditional Health Practitioners Act 35 of 2004.
7. 7Greenblatt M. "Law and ethics in psychiatric administration". 68-75 in Principles and practice of forensic psychiatry ((ed) Rosner R). 2019. 68.
8. 8Carstens PA, Pearmain DL. Foundational Principles of South African Medical Law. 606-607.
9. 9Frevert U. "Professional medicine and the working classes in imperial Germany". 1985 Journal of Contemporary History 4; 637-658.
10. 10Lloyd PJ. "A history of medical professionalisation in NSW; 1788-1950". 1994 Australian Health Review 2; 14.
11. 11Burnham JC. "How the concept of profession evolved in the work of historians of medicine". 2002 Bulletin History of Medicine 1; 1-2.
12. 12Shorr P. "Sir John Friend (1675-1728) M.D. pioneer historian of medicine". 1937 Isis 3; 453.
13. 13Clark G. "The history of the medical profession: Aims and methods". 1966 Medical History ;: 213.
14. 14Shorr. 1937 Isis 453, 454.
15. 15London School of Economics and Political Science, Suntory-Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines, IngentaConnect. (Online service), JSTOR (Organization), OCLC FirstSearch Electronic Collections Online, Synergy (Online service) Economica. (1923) 189.
16. 16Newsholme A. "The measurement of progress in public health with special reference to the life and work of William Farr" 1923 Economica 186, 189.
17. 17Huisman F, Warner JH. (eds) Locating medical history: The stories and their meanings. 2004 5.
18. 18Light D, Levine S. "The changing character of the medical profession: A theoretical overview". 1988 Milbank Q 2: 10,12.
19. 19Freidson E. Professionalism reborn: Theory, prophecy, and policy. 1994 47-92, 147-216.
20. 20Freidson E. "The reorganization of the medical profession" 1985 Medical Care Review 11.
21. 21Goldstein J. "Foucault among the sociologists: The 'disciplines' and the history of professions" 1984 History & Theory 2; 170.
22. 22Ebenezer H, Baas JH. Outlines of the history of medicine and the medical profession. 1889 947, 1123.
23. 23Coppock, Hopton. 117, 155.
24. 24Marx OM. "What is the history of psychiatry?" 1992 3 Historical Psychiatry 11; 279, 281.
25. 25Broman T. "University reform in medical thought at the end of the eighteenth century" 1989 Osiris 2; 36.
26. 26Smith HL. "Psychiatry in medicine: Intra-or-inter-professional relationships?". 1957 American Journal of Sociology 3; 285, 286.
27. 27Arrington RL, Beversluis J. (eds) A companion to the philosophers 1999. 4.
28. 28Nicholas L. "Introduction" 1-8 in Introduction to psychology ((ed) Nicholas L.) 2008 1-2.
29. 29Sternberg RJ. Psychology: In search of the human mind 200) 11.
30. 30See s 1.
31. 31S 3(a-i).
32. 32S 4(a-f).
33. 33S 10(1)(a-b).
34. 34S 10(2).
35. 35S 10(3).
36. 36S 10(5).
37. 37S 10(6).
38. 38Carstens, Pearmain. 253-254.
39. 39Van Niekerk JP. "HPCSA: A mess in the Health Department's pocket" 2020 S African Medical Journal 4; 203.
40. 40S 15B(1)(a-g).
41. 41Carstens, Pearmain. 259.
42. 42These conditions are set out in s 52(2).
43. 43S 52(1)(a).
44. 44S 52(1)(b).
45. 45S 53(1).
46. 46S 53(2).
47. 47S 53(3)(a).
48. 48S 53(4).
49. 49Rosner R, Weinstock R. (eds) Ethical practice in psychiatry and the law 2000 52.
50. 50Rosner Ethical practice in psychiatry and the law 52.
51. 51See s 1 of the Act.
52. 52S 5(a-h).
53. 53S 7(a-i).
54. 54S 44(1).
55. 55Strauss SA. Doctor, patient and the law 131.
56. 56Carstens, Pearmain. 861;
57. 57Schmidt CWH. Bewysreg 2000 463.
58. 58Van Wyk v Lewis 1924 AD 438 447-448.
59. 59Carstens, Pearmain. 860.
60. 60Kaliski S. "Introduction" 1-7 in Psycholegal assessment in South Africa ((ed) Kaliski S). 2006 2-3.
61. 61S 72.
62. 62Michael v Linksfield Park Clinic 1200A-1201F.
63. 63Bush SS. (eds) Ethical practice in forensic psychology: A systematic model for decision making 2016 28-34.
64. 64Bryant BK, VandenBos GR, Greenwood.
65. 65Bush. 2024 35.
66. 66Koocher, Keith-Spiegel. 479.
67. 67S 1 of the Health Professions Act.
68. 68Carstens, Pearmain. 262.
69. 69Carstens, Pearmain. 279.
70. 70S 111(1).
71. 71S 111(2).
72. 72S 111(3).
73. 73S 110(1).
74. 74S 110(2).
75. 75S 109.
76. 76S 106(1).
77. 77S 107(3).
78. 78S 108(1).
79. 79S 108(2).
80. 80Allan A, Meintjies-Van der Walt. in Psycholegal assessment in South Africa 353.
81Canter MB. Ethics for psychologists 70.