Explaining the Experience of Psychiatric Residents in the Laboratory of Instrumental Interventions in Psychiatry: A Qualitative Study

Educational environment is part of the teaching-learning process. Clinical training, as a part of medical education, is now facing numerous challenges. Nowadays, there are clinical training environments different from hospital and clinic environments. Considering the establishment and operation of the instrumental lab in the department of psychiatry in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, this study was conducted to explain the views of psychiatry residents on the instrumental interventions lab in the department of psychiatry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

This qualitative, exploratory study was conducted using purposive sampling. All the residents who had completed the course of instrumental interventions lab in psychiatry and were willing to participate were included in the study (n = 9). Data were collected through focus group discussions. Interview transcriptions were analyzed by means of thematic analysis.

Drawing on the inductive technique, two main themes emerged: “instrumental interventions lab, a new field in education” and “psychiatry residency, another narrative”. Each of these themes consisted of two subthemes “components of instrumental interventions lab” and “benefits of instrumental interventions lab”.

The instrumental interventions lab encompasses the components of a clinical environment, and given its own nature, has led to positive experiences for the residents.