Bryan K. Touchet

The Impact of Spirituality on Psychiatric Treatment Adherence

This study aims to determine the degree to which adult psychiatric outpatients feel conflict between their spiritual views and their psychiatric treatment. A self-administered survey was offered to clinic patients and responses were analyzed. Results showed that psychiatric treatments were associated with religious or spiritual conflicts at 14.4%. Some patients delayed treatment due to spiritual beliefs; others reported “very frequent” conflicts between advice of their spiritual leader and their psychiatrist. The study concluded that psychiatric treatments could be associated with spiritual or religious conflicts that may delay or interfere with treatment; therefore, spiritual concerns should be incorporated into treatment planning.

A Pilot Study Examining Factors Influencing Readiness to Progress to Indirect Supervision Among First Year Residents in a General Psychiatry Training Program

ObjectiveIn the first year of training, psychiatry residents progress from direct supervision to indirect supervision but factors predicting time to transition between these levels of supervision are unknown. This study aimed to examine times for transition to indirect levels of supervision and to identify resident factors associated with slower progression.MethodsThe authors compiled data from training files from years 2011–2015, including licensing exam scores, age, gender, medical school, month of first inpatient psychiatry rotation, and transition times between levels of supervision. Correlational analysis examined the relationship between these factors. Univariate analysis further examined the relationship between medical school training and transition times between supervision levels.ResultsAmong the factors studied, only international medical school training was positively correlated with time to transition to indirect supervision and between levels of indirect supervision.ConclusionsInternational medical graduate (IMG) interns in psychiatry training may benefit from additional training and support to reach competencies required for the transition to indirect supervision.