Final answer:
The best response is that psychologists can help healthy people too. Psychology careers offer diversity, with various specialties and work settings, some of which focus on improving life and work performance rather than crisis intervention, requiring extensive graduate study.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most accurate response for the student to give when asked if it would be depressing to focus on people in crisis as a psychologist is "Psychologists can help healthy people improve their lives too." This statement reflects that psychology is a diverse field with opportunities to not only work with individuals in crisis but also to contribute to the well-being and performance improvement of individuals across various settings. It's important to understand that psychology encompasses various specialties such as industrial and organizational psychology, health psychology, and educational psychology, each with its own focus, clientele, and setting.
Earning a doctoral degree in psychology takes a commitment of 5-6 years of graduate study, although there are careers within psychology that can be pursued with a master's degree. Additionally, psychologists can work in a multitude of environments ranging from academic institutions, healthcare, private practice, and corporate settings. For instance, industrial and organizational psychologists might work on developing performance-appraisal systems within companies, a role that is less about crisis intervention and more about enhancing productivity and job satisfaction.