Developing an Advocacy Curriculum: Lessons Learned from a National Survey of Psychiatric Residency Programs.

OBJECTIVE: Advocacy by physicians, defined as a physician's public support for causes, policies, or actions that advance patient health, is increasingly recognized as a professional responsibility as well as a core competency in medical training. The authors describe a survey they conducted on advocacy curricula in psychiatric residency training programs across the USA, from their vantage point as members of an advocacy council within a medical professional organization. METHODS: Between Fall 2016 and Winter 2018, psychiatry residency programs with advocacy curricula were identified through personal communications with stakeholders as well as a blast email to the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with program leaders at residencies with an advocacy curriculum to collect detailed information on these curricula. RESULTS: Seven psychiatry residency programs with advocacy curricula were identified. All seven programs agreed to be interviewed and are included in the survey results. CONCLUSIONS: Lessons learned from this survey include how to approach the development of an advocacy curriculum; the components, attributes, and supports of an effective curriculum; and the challenges commonly encountered by medical educators trying to implement such a curriculum. The authors hope that these observations will contribute to the development of a best practice guideline for advocacy teaching within psychiatry and perhaps for other medical disciplines.

Advocacy for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Challenges and Benefits.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy, also called psychodynamic therapy (PDT), is an effective mental health treatment that is currently under siege on several fronts. It is at risk of being effectively excluded from the future of American health care. Psychiatrists need to learn how to advocate for a future mental health care delivery system that assures their patients have access to PDT. This article examines the stigma against both psychiatrists and PDT, identifies some of the challenges to advocacy that psychiatrists face, and offers an approach to developing the necessary skills that psychiatrists need to advocate effectively for PDT.