Overcoming barriers in working with families

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry
• Family Therapy

Background:

• Accreditation bodies mandate family competencies for psychiatry residents.
• Working with families is a crucial skill for resident development.
• Existing literature often overlooks specific barriers residents encounter in family work.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe common barriers psychiatry residents face when working with families.
• To offer practical strategies for overcoming these identified barriers.
• To enhance resident training in family therapy and family engagement.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 23 years of combined clinical experience teaching family therapy to psychiatry residents.
• Identification of typical challenges encountered by residents new to family work.
• Use of clinical vignettes to illustrate resident concerns and supervisory interventions.

Main Results:

• Six distinct clinical vignettes are presented, detailing resident-identified barriers.
• Each vignette includes the resident's specific concerns, supervisor's interventions, and the resident's subsequent responses.
• The results highlight common themes in resident difficulties with family dynamics and therapeutic engagement.

Conclusions:

• Explicitly addressing barriers is essential for resident development in family work.
• Clear discussion of strategies to overcome these barriers is crucial for effective training.
• Enhancing resident competency in family therapy requires targeted educational approaches.