Continuous advances in psychiatric research and increased service users’ expectations led to the need to develop a new international framework for psychiatric training. The assessment of early career psychiatrists’ (ECPs) views has been emphasized as an important step of this process. However, at the moment, only few national studies have investigated ECPs’ opinions on received training.

To assess:

1. 1) ECPs’ satisfaction with training and self-confidence in different psychiatric domains;

2. 2) availability of clinical supervision and educational opportunities during training.

The Early Career Psychiatrists Committee of the European Psychiatric Association - in collaboration with the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees, conducted an online survey among European ECPs. The Psychiatric Training Questionnaire, a multiple choice-answer self-reported instrument developed for this occasion, was completed by 194 respondents from 34 European countries.

Most respondents (73%) were completely or partially satisfied with the received training. Highest levels of self-confidence were reported in clinical psychiatry (93%), pharmacotherapy (68%) and emergency psychiatry (67%); the most problematic areas for ECPs were forensic psychiatry (68%), psychotherapy (63%) and child and adolescent psychiatry (57%). Thirty percent of ECPs were not assigned to a tutor for clinical activities, 67% did not receive any psychotherapeutic supervision and only 19% participated in exchange programs.

ECPs are globally satisfied with the training received; however, they report the need to enhance training in psychotherapy, forensic psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry, to ensure adequate supervision to all trainees and to improve the opportunities for international exchange programmes.