Education in psychiatry in Western Europe

Abstract

Education in psychiatry and practice varies hugely across Europe. Historical events and cultural differences, different languages and concepts about mental suffering, and mental healthcare organization in European countries have all contributed to the actual status. After presenting the legal framework and the role of major stakeholders, this review discusses failing initiatives, possible obstacles, and solutions to come to a more harmonized training. This review then gives an overview of the actual status of psychiatric training before shortly presenting the Task Force on Education in European Psychiatry. Initiatives to train the trainers, the introductions of newer teaching modalities in postgraduate training, and the role of the European Psychiatric Association in continuous medical education precede the conclusion.

Keywords:

• Psychiatric education
• psychiatric training
• European psychiatry
• postgraduate training
• UEMS
• EPA
• EFPT
• AMEE
• CME

Notes

Disclosure statement

No industry related interests to declare. The author was a member of the EPA Committee on Education. He is Immediate Past President of the UEMS Section of Psychiatry and one of the four UEMS Vice-Presidents.

Notes

1 This treaty—officially the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union—was signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, and West Germany in Brussels (Belgium).

2 The first level competency being the diploma in basic medicine, the second level is specialization (general practice, psychiatry, ophthalmology, etc.). Third level competencies sometimes are forensic psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and old age psychiatry, although in another country they might be separate specialties.