Research Training in Psychiatry Residency: Strategies for Reform

The number of psychiatric researchers does not seem to be keeping pace with the needs and opportunities that exist in brain and behavioral medicine. An Institute of Medicine committee conducted a broad review of the state of patient-oriented research training in the context of the psychiatry residency and considered the obstacles to such training and strategies for overcoming those obstacles. Careful consideration was given to the demands of clinical training. The committee concluded that barriers to research training span three categories: regulatory, institutional, and personal factors. Recommendations to address these issues are presented in the committee’s report, including calling for research literacy requirements and research training curricula tailored to psychiatry residency programs of various sizes. The roles of senior investigators and departmental leadership are emphasized in the report, as is the importance of longitudinal training (e.g., from medical school through residency and fellowship). As there appears to be great interest among numerous stakeholders and a need for better tracking data, an overarching recommendation calls for the establishment of a national body to coordinate and evaluate the progress of research training in psychiatry.

• Front Matter
• Executive Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Residency as Part of a Longitudinal Career Continuum
• 3 Regulatory Factors
• 4 Institutional Factors
• 5 Personal Factors
• 6 Future Directions for Promoting the Development of Psychiatrist-Researchers
• References
• Appendix A: Data Sources and Methods
• Appendix B: Federal and Other Funding Mechanisms Listed and Summarized by Career Stage
• Appendix C: Brief Descriptions of Psychiatry Residency Training Programs, Sorted by NIH 2002 Funding Rank for Each Corresponding Department
• Appendix D: Committee and Staff Biographies