Psychiatry, War, and the Learning Needs of Residents

Objective: The authors sought to determine the learning needs, experiences, and attitudes of psychiatric residents in relation to war and mental health; to discover if residents in their training program have had clinical experiences with patients affected by war and if they believed that they were adequately trained to deal with these encounters; and to explore if residents believe psychiatrists should play a role in the lives of those affected by war and, if so, what types of roles they believe psychiatrists should take. Methods: The authors developed a survey to assess resident attitudes toward psychiatrists' roles in relation to war and related clinical experiences and learning needs. The survey was administered to psychiatric residents at the largest psychiatric residency program in Canada. Results: The majority of the 52 respondents believed that psychiatrists have a role in mitigating the effects of war. Although 75% of residents (n = 38) had encountered a patient who was traumatized by war, none reported feeling completely prepared. Approximately 90% of residents (n = 44) reported that they would like to learn more about this area. Conclusion: In a Canadian residency program that does not provide clinical rotations in a military hospital, most psychiatric residents surveyed were interested in the effects of war on mental health and would like more clinical training in this area.