Perception of Substance Use Disorder Training: a Survey of General Psychiatry Residents in Nigeria

• Published in: Academic psychiatry Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 360 - 365
• Main Authors: Chikezie, Eze U., Ebuenyi, Ikenna D., Allagoa, Erefagha Leonardo P., Onyeka, Ifeoma N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Addictions; Adult; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data collection; Drug use; Female; Humans; In Brief Report; Internship and Residency; Male; Medical Education; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Mental health; Narcotics; Nigeria; Patients; Perception; Perceptions; Physicians; Psychiatrists; Psychiatry; Psychiatry - education; Questionnaires; Statistical Analysis; Substance Abuse; Substance abuse treatment; Substance use disorder; Substance-Related Disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teaching Methods; Nigeria; Substance use disorders; Addiction psychiatry; Psychiatry residents; Addiction training; Satisfaction
• ISSN: 1042-9670; 1545-7230
• DOI: 10.1007/s40596-021-01433-y

Objective Substance use disorder (SUD) is a global concern. Evidence from high-income countries suggests that SUD training for psychiatry residents is less than optimal but it is unknown whether the situation is different in low-/middle-income settings. This study assessed psychiatry residents’ perception of their SUD training. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among general psychiatry residents in Nigeria from November 2018 to May 2019. Data were collected through self-completion of an English-language questionnaire with multiple-choice and open-ended questions administered face-to-face and online. Results A total of 51 participants completed the questionnaire, mean age 33.6 years and 76.5% men. Most participants (70.6%) expressed interest in addiction psychiatry, and 47.1% perceived their SUD training as inadequate. When asked to rate satisfaction with the SUD training they have received so far, 52.9% were unsatisfied, and the absence of in-house SUD training (29.4%) was the leading cause of dissatisfaction. For those who were satisfied, the most common reasons were availability of SUD training and treatment-related factors (31.4%). The most frequent suggestions for making addiction psychiatry subspecialty attractive to psychiatry residents were provision of SUD treatment units, structured SUD training, and continuity of such training. Equipping existing SUD treatment units and creating more treatment units were the most common suggestions for improving current SUD training. Conclusion This study demonstrated a high level of interest in addiction psychiatry, but satisfaction with SUD training was mixed. Addressing causes of dissatisfaction and areas suggested for improvement would be necessary to sustain interest.