Clinical capacity of Australian and New Zealand psychiatrists who work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Subspecialty training pathways in intellectual and developmental disability psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand: current status and future opportunities

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the training experiences of and determine capacity to train future Australian and New Zealand psychiatrists working in intellectual and developmental disability mental health.

METHODS

Australian and New Zealand psychiatrists with expertise or interest in intellectual and developmental disability mental health completed an online survey detailing their training pathway, support for subspecialty training and capacity to provide rotations in this area.

RESULTS

Psychiatrists (n=71) indicated the most common reasons they started practicing in intellectual and developmental disability mental health, and these included seeing people with intellectual or developmental disability in a service in which they worked, or personal experience with intellectual or developmental disability. Compared to those trained overseas, psychiatrists trained in Australia or New Zealand had lower ratings of the sufficiency of education received in intellectual and developmental disability mental health. Of the total respondents, 80% supported the development of subspecialty training. Augmentation of intellectual and developmental disability mental health content in the intermediate stage of training was also strongly supported. Participants identified 80 potential six-month training rotations in this area.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychiatrists working in intellectual and developmental disability mental health strongly support enhancements to intellectual or developmental disability training, including the development of subspecialty training, and can identify potential training capacity if such subspecialty training was developed.