Residents in Personal Psychotherapy

Abstract

The authors tested the following hypotheses: 1) that current psychiatry residents engage in personal psychotherapy less frequently than did former residents; 2) that there are interprogram differences with respect to engagement in personal psychotherapy among current residents; and 3) that attitudes about the professional utility of personal psychotherapy and toward psychodynamic therapy as a form of treatment are related to participation in personal psychotherapy. A 66-item anonymous questionnaire was sent to 119 current residents at three local residency training programs and 209 former residents of one of the training programs. The questionnaire gathered information on the residents’ participation in insight-oriented personal psychotherapy and attitudes toward personal therapy and toward psychotherapy as a treatment for patients. Current residents (20%) partake less frequently in personal psychotherapy during training than did former residents (70%) (P<0.0001). Among those in therapy, current residents have less frequent sessions than former residents. There are differences in participation in personal psychotherapy among current residents of different programs, ranging from 6% to 60% (P<0.0001). Residents in personal psychotherapy are more likely to acknowledge professional utility in personal therapy and to believe that residents should learn how to deliver insight-oriented therapy. These findings suggest that there has been a recent decline in the use of personal psychotherapy during residency training and a concomitant lower value assigned to psychodynamic therapy by trainees. This lower utilization may be the cause and/or the effect of the lower valuation. If confirmed, these findings reflect significant changes in the training experience of psychiatrists and have implications for the delivery of psychiatric care.