Am J Psychiatry 1987; 144:913-917
Copyright © 1987 by American Psychiatric Association
Shifts in attitudes among psychiatric residents: serial measures over 10 years
W Coryell
Psychiatric residents completing their training in 1976, 1978, 1980, and
1986 were sent surveys on their attitudes toward treatment and training
among a "dynamic-organic continuum." Their responses indicated decreasing
antagonism toward the medical model and increasing endorsement of medical
education, experience in neurology, and the internship as essential aspects
of psychiatric education. The rankings of various treatment modalities for
each of four disorders were remarkably stable across surveys. Except for
megavitamin therapy, residents in 1986 were at least somewhat more likely
to consider essential each of six therapies for each of the four disorders,
indicating a general increase in therapeutic optimism.
