Psychotherapy in Contemporary Psychiatric Practice.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health Services
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• American data indicate a decline in psychotherapy provision by psychiatrists.
• The generalizability of this trend to other countries, including Canada, remains uncertain.
• This study investigates psychotherapy practice patterns among psychiatrists in British Columbia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine psychotherapy provision trends among psychiatrists in British Columbia.
• To determine if the declining trend observed in the US is also present in Canadian psychiatric practice.
• To understand the current landscape of psychotherapy integration in Canadian psychiatric services.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to all fully licensed psychiatrists in British Columbia (n=623).
• The survey included 30 items assessing psychotherapy practice patterns.
• Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• A response rate of 68% was achieved with 423 psychiatrists returning the survey.
• 80.9% of responding psychiatrists reported practicing psychotherapy.
• Contrary to expectations, an increase in psychotherapy provision was observed among psychiatrists who entered practice within the last decade; professional time constraints were the primary barrier, not remuneration.

Conclusions:

• Psychotherapy provision by psychiatrists in British Columbia is not declining.
• Psychiatrists in British Columbia actively integrate psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy.
• This integration supports the continued unique role of psychiatrists in mental health care delivery.