A special issue of the International Journal of Psychiatry (IJP), guest edited by WPA Secretary for Education Prof Roger MK Ng, reveals the current training provisions for undergraduates and postgraduates in different regions and countries around the world.
Providing quality mental health care to the world's varied communities relies on having access to professional psychiatrists and doctors with competent knowledge and skills. Differing geo-political, economic, social and cultural practices in different countries means that the way in which psychiatric training is delivered is as varied as the communities themselves. Every country takes their own approach, with differing durations of training and different emphases applied depending on culture-specific mental health needs and scope of resources. Ultimately, the standard and quality of a country's undergraduate and postgraduate psychiatric education is intrinsically linked to their success in providing quality mental health care.
In the upcoming special issue of IJP (March 2020), Prof Ng brings together experts from around the world to share the training provisions relevant to their country or region. Through this collection of papers, readers will be able to appreciate the similarities and differences in psychiatric training in different parts of the world, while also sharing in the innovations different countries use to circumvent their own resource constraints in providing mental health education to their students.
WPA will use the papers as a reference when considering how its member societies of similar geo-political and cultural backgrounds might also make use of the training systems and innovations already in place.
With the kind permission and support from the Journal Publisher and the Journal Editor, the Special Issue will be available for free open access online from March 2020 for three months.
All WPA members are welcome and encouraged to download and read these papers.
