Migration of medical professionals has a global impact on healthcare and services, including on mental health. Exploring the reasons for migration and why psychiatric trainees consider to migrate to certain countries is therefore crucial to understand the decision-making process related to migration of psychiatric trainees as well as of future specialists.

The aims of this Brain Drain Survey, was to research which countries most trainees in Europe migrate to (host countries) and for which reasons trainees choose to migrate to these countries (“pull factors”).

In a multicenter, cross-sectional study, data was collected in 33 countries. As part of the survey, all participants responded to a questionnaire exploring trainees’ experiences and attitudes towards migration.

Our results showed that Sweden, Switzerland and the UK were all significant net hosts. The percentage of immigrants varied between these countries. One of the main contributors as a “pull” factor was unsurprisingly, salary. It is notable that all three-host countries were within the highest wage brackets within our survey.

Psychiatric trainees tend to migrate to countries with higher income.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.