Why geopsychiatry belongs in the medical curriculum: Lessons from a global survey

Abstract

Geopsychiatry has emerged as a framework for understanding how geography, environmental change, sociopolitical forces, and geopolitical dynamics shape mental health and psychiatric practice. Despite growing global challenges—including climate change, forced migration, armed conflict, and economic instability—its integration into medical education remains limited. We draw on findings from a first global survey of 401 psychiatry faculty members and residents across more than 30 countries, which examined familiarity with and attitudes toward incorporating geopsychiatry into training curricula. Only a small minority reported high familiarity, yet nearly two-thirds considered its inclusion “very important.” Most respondents indicated that geopsychiatry was absent from their residency programmes, citing insufficient resources, lack of faculty expertise, and limited curricular time as key barriers. Importantly, trainee interest was high, and exposure through academic activities correlated with greater familiarity and engagement. These findings reveal a clear structural gap between recognised clinical relevance and curricular implementation. Integrating geopsychiatry into medical education would strengthen contextualised clinical reasoning, enhance public health and policy engagement, and promote global equity in psychiatric training. Psychiatry must adapt to contemporary geopolitical realities; without geopsychiatry, psychiatric education remains incomplete.