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. 2024 Feb;33(1):110-117.
doi: 10.1080/09638237.2021.1922638. Epub 2021 May 17.

Are efforts to recruit to psychiatry closing the stable door after the horse has bolted? Knowledge and attitudes towards a career in psychiatry amongst secondary (high) school students: a UK-based cross-sectional survey

Lewys J Morgan  1 , Gabrielle M Finn  2 , Paul A Tiffin  2   3
Affiliations

Are efforts to recruit to psychiatry closing the stable door after the horse has bolted? Knowledge and attitudes towards a career in psychiatry amongst secondary (high) school students: a UK-based cross-sectional survey

Lewys J Morgan et al. J Ment Health. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Internationally there is a shortage of psychiatrists, whilst clinical psychology training is generally oversubscribed. School students interested in psychological health may not be aware of the possibility of studying medicine before specialising in psychiatry. This has implications for the mental health workforce.

Aims: To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes relating to a potential career in psychiatry amongst secondary (high) school students.

Method: A cross-sectional survey evaluated attitudes and knowledge relating to psychiatry and clinical psychology, targeting students from five schools who were studying chemistry, biology and/or psychology at an advanced level.

Results: 186 students completed the survey (response rate 41%). Knowledge was generally poor with only 57% of respondents knowing that psychiatrists had medical degrees, and most participants substantially underestimating the salaries of consultant psychiatrists. Attitudinal response patterns were explained by two underlying factors, relating to generally negative attitudes towards psychiatry and positive attitudes towards the effectiveness of psychiatric treatments. Females and those studying psychology reported more positive attitudes towards psychiatry. Those studying chemistry reported more negative attitudes towards the effectiveness of mental health treatment.

Conclusions: Studying psychology predicted positive attitudes towards psychiatry. Such students could be targeted by recruitment campaigns, which emphasise factual information about the specialty.

Keywords: Psychiatry; mental health workforce; recruitment.

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Conflict of interest statement

PAT is a Fellow and LJM a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust, the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distribution of the estimates of the average salary of a UK consultant psychiatrist, as reported by the sample of secondary school students.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Two factor model of attitudes towards psychiatry with standardised factor loadings, factor correlations, error variance and residuals. Note, correlated residuals [not all shown] are included to account for the “method effect” of negatviely worded items.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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