Practising Psychiatry in New Zealand's Rural Areas: Incentives, Problems and Solutions

Abstract

Objectives: To identify challenges faced by psychiatrists working in New Zealand's non-metropolitan areas and identify strategies that New Zealand psychiatrists use to overcome some of these challenges. Method: Ten psychiatrists attending the RANZCP New Zealand Branch conference in 2000 participated in a focus group. They identified positive and negative aspects of working in New Zealand's non-metropolitan areas and possible solutions to problems. Results: Ten main themes were identified. These focussed on professional challenges of practising psychiatry in rural areas. Social and economic factors did not rank highly. The solutions generated included expanding the local psychiatric workforce, modifying workload or work pattern of existing psychiatrists, utilising differing models of service delivery, and enhancing professional development. Conclusions: This is the first study that has reported on challenges of, and some solutions to, practising psychiatry in New Zealand's non-metropolitan areas. Difficulties identified and solutions generated were similar to those found in rural areas of other developed countries. It is important that a widely-accepted nomenclature (“rural”, “provincial”, “urban” psychiatry) be developed. More research is suggested into the characteristics of New Zealand's specialist psychiatry workforce and into the efficacy of any solutions implemented.