Provision of Climate Emergency Teaching for Psychiatry Trainees: A Deanery Wide Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

Aims

In 2021, The Royal College of Psychiatrists declared a climate emergency, stating that “The disruption to life posed by climate and ecological degradation is a crisis which presents an unprecedented threat to human health”. In 2022 the College released an updated curriculum for both Core Trainees and Higher Trainees, which included the requirement that trainees “demonstrate an understanding of the principles of sustainability and how they underpin sustainable psychiatric practice”. We aimed both to understand whether Core Psychiatry Trainees (CTs) are meeting the new sustainability curriculum requirements and to increase awareness of the connections between the climate crisis and mental health.

Methods

We used an electronic questionnaire to survey CTs baseline understanding of the climate emergency and sustainable practices in psychiatry, with reference to clauses included in the 2022 curriculum and Silver Guide. An educational module on the climate emergency was planned and delivered to CTs in 2022 and 2023. Content included sustainable practices in psychiatry and the relevance of the climate crisis to mental healthcare. Feedback was gathered afterwards.

Results

The questionnaire showed 44% of CTs surveyed disagreed or felt neutral that they could demonstrate an understanding of the principles of sustainability and 56% disagreed or strongly disagreed that they understand how the mental healthcare system can work to reduce potential negative impacts of healthcare on the environment. Feedback from the initial teaching day in 2022 included the following suggested improvements 1) Highlighting the relevance to psychiatry 2) Holding the day in person 3) Avoiding sessions with too many facts. These suggestions were incorporated into the second teaching day, along with the new College Silver guide curriculum requirements. 32 CTs attended the second teaching day (16 in person and 16 online), with some overlap in attendees from the previous year. Feedback from the second day was very positive. Respondents particularly found the session on young people and eco-distress useful, and reported finding the day ‘educational’, ‘insightful’, ‘practical’ and ‘accessible’. Further suggested improvements were to incorporate a nature based intervention into the day.

Conclusion

Our findings showed psychiatry trainees find educational sessions on the climate crisis and psychiatry necessary and useful for their practice. This project gives an insight into how to provide this teaching in way that is reflective of the scale and urgency of the issue whilst also providing practical advice, optimism and active hope for the future.