[State of complementary and alternative medicine education in psychiatry residency programs].

BACKGROUND

The incorporation of integrative medicine as a holistic approach increased in medical education. However, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) formal teaching in psychiatry residency programs is limited.

AIM

To assess the incorporation of CAM education in different Chilean psychiatry programs and to determine the knowledge and attitudes toward this issue.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

An online survey was sent to 80 academic staff from five psychiatry programs. Forty-nine participants answered the survey (61%). Some of the questionnaire topics were the inclusion of CAM content in the program, types of CAM included, and motivation and strategies for the CAM content incorporation in their training curriculum.

RESULTS

Most respondents answered that there is no formal CAM content in their program's curriculum. The main topics to incorporate CAM in a psychiatry residency are sleep hygiene, stress management, and motivational interviewing. The lack of knowledge, time constraints, and the limited resources are major barriers to include CAM in their curriculums.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that many academic staff of Chilean psychiatry training programs are aware of the importance of having CAM content in their curriculum. However, some barriers hinder their incorporation and implementation.