25.1 Establishing a Neuroscience Didactic Series for Psychiatric Residents: A Developmental Perspective

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including traumatic experiences can affect the development of a child in many ways, including an increased risk of behavioral problems. The first objective is to discuss the development of a neuroscience didactic series on the impact of trauma for psychiatry residents. The second objective is to discuss feedback received from psychiatry residents about the series. A brief survey was conducted prior to didactic series initiation to determine previous education, interest, and barriers to utilizing neuroscience among residents in a psychiatry residency program. Residents completed a 3-part interactive didactic series structured around a clinical case for contextual learning. The series included topics on trauma, neurobiological circuits, epigenetics, and a National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative (NNCI) module, modified for virtual classroom use. Role-playing exercises were utilized to practice delivering psychoeducation incorporating clinical neuroscience. Feedback was collected as part of ongoing residency curriculum evaluation. The responses gathered in the predidactic survey indicated a buy-in from the residents, with 100% indicating interest in the didactic series. Seven out of 8 respondents had not received a series incorporating developmental perspectives and clinical neuroscience. Most residents had limited knowledge about the neurobiological basis of mental health disorders in adults and children. All respondents indicated that they only sometimes use these principles in clinical practice of psychoeducation and identified barriers such as lack of adequate knowledge (25%), lack of resources to gain knowledge (37.5%), and lack of practice (87.5%). Feedback (n = 6) from the residents during and after the series included 100% indicating that the topics were covered in sufficient depth and activities were useful in promoting understanding and discussion. Residents commented that they liked the interactive nature of the series, enjoyed the multitude of aids utilized and the review of material covered in prior sessions before beginning the next session, and the role-play exercise. An interactive neuroscience didactic series incorporating multiple educational material aids and techniques, tailored for delivery in the virtual classroom, is well received by residents.