Integrated training in psychiatry and psychotherapy: an incentive to work in Switzerland?

Abstract Background Switzerland’s mental health workforce heavily relies on foreign-trained psychiatrists. Unlike many European training systems, Swiss postgraduate psychiatry integrates formal psychotherapy training that leads to a dual psychiatrist-psychotherapist qualification. However, the role of this training model in shaping international trainee mobility has not been systematically studied. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among physicians who obtained their medical degrees outside Switzerland and had been recruited into psychiatry training at Lausanne University Hospital between 2006 and 2022. The questionnaire combined items adapted from the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees Brain Drain study with additional items addressing training pathways, migration motivations, and perceptions of psychotherapy training. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and seven post hoc exploratory comparisons with two-sided Fisher’s exact tests and Holm adjustment. Results Of the 203 physicians contacted for the survey, 130 were included in the analysis (64.0%). Academic opportunities were the most frequently assigned rank-1 category in the general push and pull questions. Psychotherapy training received independent importance ratings of 1–3 from 78/118 respondents (66.1%), compared with 73/118 (61.9%) for training quality and 69/118 (58.5%) for the combined qualification. None of the seven exploratory comparisons reached statistical significance after adjustment for multiple testing. Conclusions In this single-centre sample, participants frequently attributed importance to psychotherapy training when recalling their reasons for coming to Switzerland. Its integration represents a potentially modifiable educational feature within a broader set of structural and personal considerations. These findings describe perceived relevance rather than establish causal effects on migration or subsequent retention.