Integrating psychosocial concepts into psychopharmacology training: a survey study of program directors and chief...

A growing body of evidence suggests that psychiatric medication outcomes are shaped significantly by psychological and social factors surrounding the prescribing process. Little, however, is known about the extent to which psychiatry programs integrate this evidence base into residency training or the methods by which this is accomplished. Psychiatry residency program directors and chief residents participated in an exploratory online survey to establish how psychosocial factors known to impact medication outcomes are integrated into psychopharmacology education. While participants highly valued the importance of psychosocial factors in the prescribing process, there was limited emphasis of these factors in psychopharmacology training. Additionally, some teaching methods that could advance understanding of complex interactions in the psychopharmacology relationship were found to be underutilized. Given that medication outcomes are significantly influenced by psychosocial factors, psychiatric educators have a responsibility to teach residents about the evidence base available. Residents exposed to this evidence base will be better equipped to manage the complexities of the psychopharmacology role. The results of this study offer clues as to how psychosocial factors may be more fully integrated into residency psychopharmacology training.