Psychological Factors in the Choice of Psychiatry as a Career

Abstract

A survey of psychiatrists and non-psychiatrists in a medical faculty examined questions bearing on two hypotheses, that psychiatrists choose their career either to heal themselves or to heal their families. The results provided some support for the psychiatrist as a “wounded healer”. The findings did not appear to be an artifact of more psychiatrists having been in therapy. The results were the same whether or not psychiatrists specialized in psychotherapy.