Research and clinical training in psychiatry: inputs and outputs

The interactive relationship between scientific advance and clinical training is increasingly important and complex in the field of psychiatry. Advances in the biological and behavioral sciences offer an unprecedented wealth of research opportunities in an atmosphere of increasing public and political support for psychiatric research. The continuing diminution of resources for clinical training in psychiatry adds to the complexity of this relationship. By discussing the diverse research opportunities and their impact on clinical training, reviewing science policy issues and support for research over the past several decades, and suggesting strategies for recruitment of psychiatric researchers, this paper highlights psychiatry's need to define new methods for training clinicians who can understand and utilize research findings, as well as create a conduit for recruitment of a new generation of psychiatric investigators.