“Not doing it justice”: Perspectives of Recent Family Medicine Graduates on Mental Health and Addictions Training in Residency

Abstract

OBJECTIVES Family physicians report feeling inadequately prepared to meet the evolving mental health care needs of the population. Little scholarship exists evaluating the effectiveness of curricula designed to teach mental health and addiction (MH&A) care to family medicine (FM) residents. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of recent FM residency graduates in providing mental health care, and their perceptions of mental health training gaps during their residencies. METHODS A qualitative descriptive study design was conducted by 8 recent graduates of the University of Toronto's FM residency program, who participated in semi-structured video interviews. A thematic analysis approach was used to collect and analyze the data. RESULTS Through thematic analysis, 3 overarching themes were developed: (1) barriers in providing mental health and addiction care, (2) curriculum renewal, and (3) the role of FPs and professional identity. Consistent with the literature, the majority of recent FM graduates expressed discomfort when managing patients with mental health and addiction concerns. Additionally, participants perceived residency program time constraints, rotational site differences, and limited exposure to marginalized populations all impacted learning and mastery of skills. CONCLUSION The findings of this study underscore current gaps within the FM residency curriculum and highlight the need to address current curricular deficits.