Development of an Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Seminar for Psychiatry Residency Training

Psychotherapy training in Iran: A survey of Iranian early career psychiatrists and psychiatric trainees

INTRODUCTION

Psychiatry's postgraduate training curriculum in Iran has been revised and one of the core revisions has been the incorporation of full-time 9-months of psychotherapy training. However, little is known about psychotherapy training in Iran.

METHODS

An online anonymous survey was developed by the Early Career Psychiatrists (ECP) Section of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA). The survey included 16 questions about the: (a) quality of psychotherapy training (supervision, type of psychotherapy training available, barriers in accessing training); (b) organizational aspects of psychotherapy training (compulsoriness, payment, and assessment); (c) satisfaction with training in psychotherapy; (d) self-confidence in the use of psychotherapy. This survey was circulated to Iranian early career psychiatrists and psychiatric trainees.

RESULTS

112 early career psychiatrists and psychiatric trainees from across Iran responded to the survey; 98.2% of which stated that psychotherapy training is included in their psychiatry training, and cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy were the most reported modalities integrated into their psychiatric training. Moreover, 43.3% of the participants reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their psychotherapy training during the training years.

DISCUSSION

Psychotherapy is integrated into psychiatric training programs in most educational centers in Iran. The modalities and satisfaction of trainees are similar to that of high-income countries in other continents. Supervision and training in modalities like family therapy could be further implemented and adapted to the Iranian culture.

Skills-Based Psychotherapy Training for Inpatient Psychiatry Residents: a Needs Assessment and Evaluation of a Pilot Curriculum

OBJECTIVE

The study's objectives were to assess the psychotherapy interests and needs of psychiatry residents, to develop a psychotherapy didactic curriculum for psychiatry residents on the inpatient service, and to evaluate residents' self-reported understanding and confidence with skills-based interventions.

METHODS

Psychiatry residents within a major metro region in the Northeast were asked if they would voluntarily participate in a survey to assess their interest and skills. Based on the results of this survey, the authors devised an 8-week course for seventeen residents on the inpatient unit. Topics included general cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), sleep hygiene, behavioral activation, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), mind-body skills, and motivational interviewing. Residents completed post-course questionnaires on comprehension and confidence in providing psychotherapy skills using 5-point Likert scales.

RESULTS

Participants (N = 39) reported a strong interest in learning psychotherapy and in education focused on inpatient skills-based interventions. At the end of the course, 12/17 (70.6%) participants provided feedback to indicate that 9/12 (75%) respondents experienced increased confidence in therapy skills, 10/12 (83.3%) reported a basic understanding of skills-based psychotherapy, and 10/12 (83.4%) believed they could teach at least one new technique.

CONCLUSION

Psychiatry residents in this study overwhelmingly requested additional training focused on skills relevant to inpatient service, and the curriculum the authors developed led to a subjective self-reported understanding of and confidence in providing these psychotherapy skills on the inpatient unit. These very preliminary results suggest that provision of increased skills-based psychotherapy training for inpatient psychiatry residents is important and beneficial within resident education.