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. 2021 Feb 18;12:560141. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.560141

Table 3.

Factors associated with the choice of child and adolescent psychiatry (n = 668).

n (%)
Reasons for choosing psychiatry as a medical specialty
     Interest in this specialty during medical school 327 (49.0)
     Vocation (long-held aspiration) 283 (42.4)
     Change of orientation (another medical specialty initiallychosen) 34 (5.1)
     Default choice 24 (3.6)
Internship in psychiatry during medical school
     Yes 478 (71.6)
     No 190 (28.4)
Internship in CAP during medical school
     Yes 223 (33.4)
     No 445 (66.6)
Internship in pediatrics during medical school
     Yes 556 (83.2)
     No 112 (16.8)
Reasons for choosing to specialize in CAP
     Interest in the work with children 429 (64.2)
     Interest for psychotherapy 353 (52.8)
     Influence of an internship in child and adolescent psychiatry during medical studies 307 (46.0)
     Interest in the work with adolescents 297 (44.5)
     Developmental approach in child and adolescent psychiatry 286 (42.8)
     Psychanalytic approach in child and adolescent psychiatry 271 (40.6)
     Local attractiveness of the discipline 122 (18.3)
     Refusal of adult psychiatry 94 (14.1)
     Conditions of life and of practice 48 (7.2)
     Other 63 (9.4)
Perception of the choice of CAP as a specialty by surroundings
     Positive perception 367 (54.9)
     Neutral perception 227 (33)
     Negative perception 74 (11.1)
Type of negative comments concerning CAP by surroundings
     Received ideas on patients suffering from mentalillness 245 (36.7)
     No direct comment of the surroundings 205 (30.7)
     Fear to be exposed to mental suffering 199 (29.8)
     Abandonment of somatic/organic medicine 194 (29.0)
     Lack of prestige of the discipline 153 (22.9)
     Low salary 136 (20.4)
     Other 30 (4.5)
Impact of personal factors on the choice of CAP
     Yes 383 (57.3)
     No 285 (42.7)
     Personal factors with an impact on the choice of CAP
     Personal psychotherapy 148 (22.2)
     Personal trauma 96 (14.4)
     Mental illness in the surroundings 91 (13.6)
     Psychiatrist or child and adolescent psychiatrist in the surroundings 74 (11.1)
     Other 112 (16.8)

CAP, child and adolescent psychiatry.