Healthcare Staff Views on the Roles of Psychologists in Hospital Care: A Survey in Italy

Despite benefits for patients, families, and healthcare professionals, psychology remains only partially integrated into hospital care. A brief, practical questionnaire for routine use could help understand staff perceptions and support psychologists' integration. This study aimed to (a) develop and validate the Psychologist in Hospital Questionnaire (PHQ), an 18-item self-administered Italian instrument designed to assess staff perceptions of psychologists' roles in three domains: support for patients and families, integration into care pathways, and support and training for staff; (b) examine whether domain scores reflect professional and organizational differences. Between December 2024 and May 2025, all healthcare professionals were invited to complete the PHQ in a general hospital in Southern Italy. The instrument's psychometric structure was tested via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and its internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach's α. Differences in PHQ scores across professional and organizational variables were examined. CFA, performed on a sample of 347 participating staff, supported the three-factor structure with good fit indices and high internal consistency (α = 0.80-0.89). Psychologists were most valued for supporting and training staff, followed by supporting patients and families. Greater awareness of psychologists' support was observed among staff in units with regular access to psychologists and in medical units, supporting construct validity. The PHQ is a reliable 18-item tool suitable for routine evaluation of staff perceptions of psychologists' roles. Its use may guide hospital service planning and foster organizational models that strengthen psychologists' presence in healthcare teams.