Background. The global burden of mental disorders continues to grow with significant health, social, and economic consequences. Unfortunately, the gap between the need for mental healthcare and its provision remains wide all over the world. The recruitment and retention of psychiatrists is a long-standing concern in the United Arab Emirates, with social stigma playing a potential role. This study is aimed at investigating the factors that affect psychiatrists’ choice of psychiatry as an area of practice in the United Arab Emirates. Methods. This cross-sectional study was undertaken using an anonymized 30-item online questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained from the United Arab Emirates University Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee prior to participant recruitment. We recruited qualified psychiatrists currently working in the United Arab Emirates. The structured questionnaire assessed the participants’ sociodemographic factors and reasons for choosing psychiatry. Statistical analysis, including Pearson correlations and chi-square tests, was performed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results. We found that the doctors trained in the United Arab Emirates were statistically more likely to face opposition to specializing in psychiatry ( p value < 0.001). Participants with a family member or friend as a psychiatrist were more likely to choose psychiatry as a first-choice specialty ( p value 0.01). Psychiatrists below the age of 35 were more statistically likely to face opposition to their decision to specialize in psychiatry ( p value 0.006). Psychiatrists who regretted their decision to specialize in psychiatry were statistically more likely to feel this way in their first year of residency ( p value < 0.001). Conclusions. Multiple sociodemographic factors influence responses to the decision to specialize in psychiatry in the United Arab Emirates. Younger people and people who studied in or were a citizen of the United Arab Emirates were more likely to face opposition to their decision to specialize in psychiatry, indicating why there are such high rates of psychiatrists from overseas in the United Arab Emirates and shortages in the profession.
AimsThe global burden of mental disorders continues to grow with significant health, social and economic consequences. Unfortunately, the gap between the need for mental health care and its provision remains wide all over the world. The recruitment and retention of psychiatrists is a long-standing concern in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with social stigma playing a potential role. This study aimed to investigate the factors that affect the choice of psychiatry as an area of practice by psychiatrists in the UAE. A secondary aim was to assess differences in the factors which affected career decisions among those participants with different backgrounds to establish any cultural and generational differences in choosing psychiatry as a career.MethodsWe conducted correlational research using an anonymised 30-item online questionnaire. We recruited qualified psychiatrists currently working in the UAE. The structured questionnaire assessed the participants’ sociodemographic factors and reasons for choosing psychiatry. Ethical approval was received from the Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (SS-REC) at United Arab Emirates University. Statistical analysis, including Pearson correlations and chi-square tests, was performed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 26.ResultsOut of 70 participants approached, 54 completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 77%. 69% of the participants were female, with a mean age of 38 years. 46% were UAE citizens. We found that the doctors trained in the UAE were statistically more likely to face opposition to specialising in psychiatry (p-value <0.001). Participants with a family member or friend as a psychiatrist were more likely to choose psychiatry as a first choice (p-value 0.01). Psychiatrists below the age of 35 were more statistically likely to face opposition to their decision to specialise in psychiatry (p-value 0.006). Psychiatrists who regretted their decision to specialise in psychiatry were statistically more likely to feel this way in their first year of residency (p-value <0.001). This study had its limitations, including the generalisability of findings and the sociodemographic factors of participants. The self-reported methodology could have subjected findings to bias, including social desirability bias.ConclusionMultiple sociodemographic factors influence the decision to specialise in psychiatry in the UAE. These findings would be helpful to identify hurdles faced by the young UAE clinicians in choosing psychiatry, partly explaining the dearth of UAE-trained psychiatrists in the country. Further research is required to study these reasons in detail, helping to improve the recruitment and retention of UAE psychiatrists in the future.
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