A. Lindhardt :THE IDENTITY OF PSYCHIATRY AS A PROFESSION AND TRAINING AS A TOOL

Amongst the medical specialities psychiatry is probably the discipline most challenged by stigmatisation. This comes as well from the inside as from the outside of the medical disciplines. Psychiatry is based on natural science as well as other scientific disciplines. This is a fascination and a challenge for the professionals in the field. In a number of European countries recruitment and retention creates problems Thus. to improve the image of psychiatry, a proper introduction to the broadness of the speciality must take place already at a pregraduate level, emphasising the great scientific advancements seen in the recent years integrated with social and psychological aspects. Training in a broader sense will here be another important tool. The paper will present some work carried out by the Section of Psychiatry of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) on retention and recruitment and on stigmatisation within the medical disciplines Also, some results from a survey on psychotherapy training as part of training in psychiatry in Europe will be presented. In most European countries psychotherapy is seen as a very important psychiatric treatment modality which needs proper assessment of psychopathology. A qualified psychiatrist should always be responsible for an assessment prior to any psychotherapeutic intervention carried out inside the field of mental health services.