Abstract
As the move towards community based psychiatry gathers momentum, it becomes increasingly important that psychiatrists are adequately trained to take on their changing role in the new model of psychiatric care (Sturt & Waters, 1985;Lancet, 1985). Indeed, it has been recommended that “every psychiatrist should be familiar with the conduct of community psychiatry” (Freeman, 1985). Difficulties arise, however, due to the fact that there is no accepted definition of the practice of community psychiatry (Fink & Weinstein, 1979) let alone well established training programmes designed to equip future community psychiatrists to practise competently. Not surprisingly, few psychiatrists are satisfied with their community psychiatry training. Brook (1981) reported that only 38% considered their community psychiatry to be adequate in quantity and suitably supervised. Even then, their subjective view may not have reflected the actual adequacy of their training. Nevertheless, useful guidelines have been drawn up by the Collegiate Trainees Committee Working Party (Scott, 1988), outlining what would constitute a rounded training programme in community psychiatry. However, there is scant literature evaluating the usefulness of the few existing posts providing such experience
Highlights
As the move towards community based psychiatry gathers momentum, it becomes increasingly import ant that psychiatrists are adequately trained to take on their changing role in the new model of psychiatric chaarse.syIncdheiaetdr,istit should be familiar with the conduct of community psychiatry" (Freeman, 1985)
Few psychiatrists are satisfied with their com munity psychiatry training
Brook (1981) reported that only 38% considered their community psy chiatry to be adequate in quantity and suitably super vised
Summary
The one year post forms part of the Sheffield Senior Registrar Psychiatric Training Rotation, and involves attachment to the North East Sector Team, which forms one of five Sheffield sectors. It was the first community psychiatry post to be created in Sheffield, and so I was allowed a good deal of flexibility in deciding, with the senior registrar tutor, how to spend my working time during the year. The catchment area covered by the sector has a popu lation of 118,650 and includes areas of considerable social disadvantage. It contains the majority of Sheffield's ethnic minority population
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