Exploring foundation doctors’ self-reported confidence in the assessment and management of mental health conditions

This study assesses newly qualified doctors' confidence in practising clinical skills related to the assessment and management of mental health conditions and how this correlates with other areas of medicine. We conducted a national survey of 1311 Foundation Year 1 doctors in the UK. Survey ite...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BJPsych Bulletin 2024-04, Vol.48 (2), p.139-144
Main Authors: Gillett, George, Davis, Owen, Gill, Amarit, van Hamel, Clare
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analgesics
Anticoagulants
Antidiabetics
Antipsychotics
Clinical assessment
Clinical governance
Clinical skills
Clinical training
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Confidence
Confidence intervals
consent and capacity
Core curriculum
Delirium
Education
Education and Training
ethics
Ethnicity
Health care
Medical diagnosis
Medical schools
Medical students
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mental states
Narcotics
Network analysis
Newly qualified
Physicians
Polls & surveys
Prescribing
Prescription drugs
Psychiatry
Psychotropic drugs
Self report
Simulation
Standardized patients
Steroids
Teaching
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:This study assesses newly qualified doctors' confidence in practising clinical skills related to the assessment and management of mental health conditions and how this correlates with other areas of medicine. We conducted a national survey of 1311 Foundation Year 1 doctors in the UK. Survey items assessed confidence recognising mentally unwell patients, conducting a mental state examination, assessing cognition and mental capacity, formulating a psychiatric diagnosis and prescribing psychotropic medications. A substantial proportion of surveyed doctors lacked confidence in their clinical skills related to mental health and prescribing psychotropic medications. Network analysis revealed that items corresponding to mental health were highly correlated, suggesting a potential generalised lack of confidence in mental healthcare. We identify areas of lack of confidence in some newly qualified doctors' ability to assess and manage mental health conditions. Future research might explore how greater exposure to psychiatry, integrated teaching and clinical simulation might better support medical students for future clinical work.
ISSN:2056-4694
2056-4708
2053-4868
DOI:10.1192/bjb.2023.48