Research training in psychiatric residency programs: a survey

Although it seems reasonable to assume that the absence of research training may account for the fact that few psychiatrists involve themselves in research, there is at present little, if any, objective data regarding the extent of research training in psychiatric residency programs. Accordingly, an 11-item questionnaire designed to assess training opportunities and staff and resident interest in research was sent to 400 training facilities in general and child psychiatry. An 82% return rate was obtained. In general, findings suggest that while in many training centers research is viewed as unimportant and frequently given the lowest priority, most facilities appear to have ample personnel to provide adequate research training. While opportunities for research training may be "available" in most training programs for those students sufficiently motivated to seek them out, the low priority assigned to this aspect of training may deflect most residents from becoming involved in research. This is likely to leave the resident poorly equipped to engage in research activities after the completion of training. The implications of the findings for residency training are discussed.