ORCID
- Rohit Shankar: 0000-0002-1183-6933
Abstract
SummaryOver the past two decades, the number of academic psychiatrists in the UK has declined by more than a third, despite an expansion in medical schools and growth in most other medical academic specialties. Drawing on direct experience of establishing a new academic unit, we argue that the long-term sustainability of academic psychiatry departments is critical for service quality, innovation and talent development. This paper outlines the structural, cultural and strategic factors needed to create academic units that endure and flourish beyond individual careers, enabling better integration of research and clinical practice.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2026-02-23
Publication Title
BJPsych Open
Volume
12
Issue
2
ISSN
2056-4724
Deposit Date
2026-02-23
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Shankar, R., Laugharne, R., Tracy, D., & Bhugra, D. (2026) 'Short-term spark or long-term flame? Sustaining academic psychiatric departments', BJPsych Open, 12(2). Available at: 10.1192/bjo.2026.10975
