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Perceived clinical challenges when treating patients from another culture: a study among doctors training in psychiatry in Norway

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

R. Tyssen ,
M. Sandbu ,
S. Thapa ,
K. Rø ,
C. Jávo  and
V. Preljevic
R. Tyssen*
Affiliation:
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Department Of Behavioural Medicine, Oslo, Norway
M. Sandbu
Affiliation:
Oslo University Hospital, Regional Section For Eating Disorders, Oslo, Norway
S. Thapa
Affiliation:
University of Oslo, Institute Of Clinical Medicine, Division Of Mental Health And Addiction, Oslo, Norway
K. Rø
Affiliation:
Institute for studies of the medical profession, Research Unit, Oslo, Norway
C. Jávo
Affiliation:
Finnmark Hospital Trust, Sami National Competence Center For Mental Health And Addiction (sanks), Karasjok, Norway
V. Preljevic
Affiliation:
Health South-East, Institute Of Psychotherapy, Oslo, Norway
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

There is increased migration of patients and physicians worldwide. In Norway, psychiatry is the medical discipline with highest proportion of foreign doctors (24%). We need empirical studies on transcultural clinical challenges among doctors training in psychiatry.

Objectives

What perceived clinical challenges do foreign and native Norwegian young doctors meet when they treat patients from another culture, and what independent factors are associated with such challenges?

Methods

We developed a new 6-item instrument (alpha=0.80), Clinical Transcultural Challenges (CTC), with items about assessing psychosis, risk of suicide, violence etc. The doctors were recruited at mandatory training courses, and they filled in questionnaires about individual factors (age, gender, foreign/native) and work-related factors (training stage, frequency of transcultural meetings, number of working hours, work stress). Associations with CTC were analyzed by linear multiple regression.

Results

The response rate was 93% (216/233), of whom 83% were native and 17% were foreign doctors, 68% were women. Native doctors reported higher levels of CTC than did foreign doctors, 28.8 (6.2) vs 23.8 (7.2), p<0.001, d=0.73. Both native and foreign doctors rated “assessing psychosis” and “lack of helping tools” as most demanding. Independent factors associated with CTC were being a native doctor, Beta 3.9, p<0.01, and high levels of work-home stress, Beta 0.29, p<0.05.

Conclusions

Native doctors training in psychiatry report higher levels of transcultural clinical challenges than foreign doctors do. Both groups of doctors may need more training in transcultural assessment of psychotic disorders. They also report needs for more helping tools, and we should explore this further.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

Postgraduate trainingAssessment in psychiatryTranscultural psychiatryPhysician role
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S199 - S200
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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