Do psychiatry residents identify as psychotherapists? A multisite survey.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric training was once synonymous with learning psychotherapy, but current psychiatric trainees face many options for integrating psychopharmacology and psychotherapy into their future practices, including providing primarily medication-focused visits. We examined psychiatry residents' attitudes towards learning psychotherapy, practicing psychotherapy in the future, and overall identification as psychotherapists. METHODS: We surveyed residents from 15 US residency programs during 2006-2007. The survey included 36 Likert-scaled items inquiring about residents' attitudes towards their psychotherapy training and supervision, their level of psychotherapy competence, the role of psychotherapy in their psychiatric identity, and their future practice plans. Four items asked about personal psychotherapy experience. Here we describe findings related to attitudes concerning being a psychotherapist and future practice plans. RESULTS: Among 249 respondents, most (82%) viewed becoming a psychotherapist as integral to their psychiatric identity. Fifty-four percent planned to provide formal psychotherapy, whereas 62% anticipated psychopharmacology would be the foundation of treatment for most patients. Residents with personal psychotherapy experience and first-year postgraduate residents (PGY-1) were more likely to identify as psychotherapists, plan to pursue further psychotherapy training postresidency, and anticipate psychotherapy being central to their future practice. CONCLUSIONS: Despite concerns about the diminishing role of psychotherapy in the practice of psychiatry and in psychiatrists' professional identity, most psychiatric residents view psychotherapy as integral to their professional identities and future practice plans.

Personal psychotherapy during residency training: a survey of psychiatric residents.

OBJECTIVE: The authors investigate current psychiatric residents' experiences with and opinions about personal psychotherapy. METHODS: The authors analyzed survey data from randomly selected students in psychiatric residency training programs during the 2005-2006 academic year. RESULTS: Approximately one-third of respondents were in psychotherapy. Being in a training program affiliated with a psychoanalytic institute and being further along in training were associated with a greater likelihood of being in therapy. Residents identified financial cost and training demands as the top barriers to pursuing psychotherapy. Psychodynamic psychotherapy was by far the most common type; few residents received cognitive behavior therapy. CONCLUSION: A significant minority of psychiatric residents pursue personal psychotherapy, primarily psychodynamic. This number appears to be much smaller than in the past.