Strengthening advocacy in child and adolescent psychiatry
A study found the majority of child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship programs surveyed offer an advocacy experience or curricula, despite it not being a requirement in psychiatry graduate medical education.
A recent study published in Academic Psychiatry found the majority of child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship programs surveyed offer an advocacy experience or curricula, despite it not being a requirement in psychiatry graduate medical education. Through the survey, the authors identified several ways to incorporate advocacy education in child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship programs.
What it means
The study used a web-based survey with multiple-choice questions to assess advocacy education practices in child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship programs during the 2024–25 academic year. Of the 33 program directors who responded, 82% reported offering an advocacy educational experience, which included one or more of the following components:
- Advocacy didactics
- Grand rounds
- State legislative participation
- Protected time to attend a legislative conference
- An advocacy elective experience
- A longitudinal curriculum
- An advocacy rotation
Why it matters
The authors state that “because pediatric mental healthcare and the healthcare system at large are directly impacted by policies, regulations and legislation, it is vital that child psychiatrists advocate for their patients, communities and the healthcare system at large.”
“These results highlight why advocacy training should be a standard part of every program’s curriculum,” said Laura Willing, MD, lead author and medical director for Mental Health Policy and Advocacy, Community Mental Health CORE at Children’s National Hospital. “Ensuring access to pediatric mental health care is critical because every young person should receive quality care when they need it.”
What’s next
The authors recommend making advocacy education a required experience for fellows in the field. With the right resources and funding, the survey identified several ways to support training programs:
- Establish designated facilitators
- Encourage professional organizations to provide training
- Publish model experiences or curricula
- Conduct research to identify the relative effectiveness of various teaching strategies
The child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship program at Children’s National includes a two-year, longitudinal advocacy curriculum.
Read the full study, Advocacy Education in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Results of a National Survey of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Programs, in Academic Psychiatry.
