title: Do psychiatry residents identify as psychotherapists? A multisite survey.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-9116, USA. szisook@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Lanouette
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Andres F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Sciolla
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bitner
authors.forename: Georgian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mustata
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haak
authors.forename: Sidney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zisook
authors.forename: Laura B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Dunn
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004493:Education; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D011600:Psychopharmacology / Q000193:education; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000193:education*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D035842:Research Subjects / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs