Psychotherapy plays a crucial role in mental healthcare. Integrating evidence-based practices into treatment guidelines highlights the need for basic psychotherapy competence in psychiatry training. While programs set minimum requirements for psychotherapy training in line with the recommendations of the World Psychiatric Association or accreditation bodies like the European Union of Medical Specialists, implementation is often inconsistent, and resources are limited. This systematic review explores early career psychiatrists’ (ECPs) views, interests, and available opportunities for psychotherapy training worldwide.

We systematically searched MEDLINE, Scopus, and PubPsych for survey-based studies on ECPs’ perspectives on psychotherapy training, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Of 31,281 studies screened, 48 articles were included. Quality assessment was conducted using the Quality Assessment Checklist for Survey Studies on Psychology, and the findings were summarized through narrative synthesis.

Included studies were from Europe (24, 50%), United States (12, 25%), Western Pacific (6, 12.5%), South-East Asia (4, 8.3%), Eastern Mediterranean (1, 2%), and Africa (1, 2%), with a total of 7,196 participants. Thirty-one studies on ECPs’ interest in psychotherapy training found that 57–80% were interested in psychotherapy, 67–92% viewed being a psychotherapist as part of their psychiatrist identity, and 88–97.7% supported its inclusion in psychiatry training. Training opportunities varied by country and institution, with cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy being primary modalities.

Improving psychiatrists’ access to evidence-based, culturally adapted psychotherapy training is essential. Educational activities offered by training institutions and professional organizations can play a key role in supporting ongoing professional development.