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Resource Document on Developing a Global Mental Health Curriculum in Psychiatry Residency Programs

Approved by the Joint Reference Committee, February 2020

  • 2020

As the importance and centrality of mental health becomes apparent within and beyond the health care sector, so will opportunities for psychiatrists to apply their knowledge and skills to meet the growing needs. Through careful attention to the moral imperatives and explanatory models among cultures that differ from their own, psychiatrists have been very successful in engaging local entities and establishing partnerships that incorporate trust, credibility, transparency, and accountability to achieve mutual benefits with communities. The following is a guide to assist psychiatry residency programs interested in developing and implementing a global mental health (GMH) curriculum, but unfamiliar with the nuances of GMH education and training. It may also be useful to medical students and psychiatric residents with interest in GMH education and training opportunities. This guide takes into consideration both an international and a domestic scope of GMH with a key focus on curriculum development addressing inequalities among people from various cultures. This guide is developed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Council on International Psychiatry, with support by the APA Caucus on Global Mental Health and Psychiatry.

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