Current Educational Practices for Major Neurocognitive Disorders in Psychiatry: a Scoping Review

A scoping review of the literature was performed to examine the current state of education on major neurocognitive disorders within psychiatry, to review influential factors for pursuing a career working with these patients, and to review what has been done in education to address the shortage of providers to care for patients with major neurocognitive disorders.

Using the Arksey and O'Malley framework for conducting scoping reviews, twenty-eight studies on education in geriatric psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, and major neurocognitive disorders were selected. Learner groups included medical students, residents, and psychiatrists. The results from the studies were compared, and major themes were presented.

Several studies found that positive clinical experiences with older adult patients and effective teachers in geriatric psychiatry play a role in influencing trainees to pursue a career in geriatric psychiatry. Topics pertaining to major neurocognitive disorders are taught by the majority of medical schools during the psychiatry rotation and are rated as the most important teaching topic in neurology among psychiatry residency program directors. Several interventions have resulted in increased comfort working with geriatric patients and patients who have major neurocognitive disorders among students, but fewer studies have resulted in an increase in interest seeing these patients in practice. There is a lack of research pertaining to psychiatry residents working with patients that have major neurocognitive disorders.

While research on geriatric psychiatry and neuropsychiatry education exists, more research is needed that focuses specifically on how medical students and psychiatry residents are being taught major neurocognitive disorders.