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Introduction Although psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUD) belong to the domain of mental health, their management varies greatly among European countries. Furthermore, both the role of psychiatrists and trainees in the treatment of PSUD is not the same for each European country. Aims Among the context of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT), the PSUD Working Group has developed a survey to carry out in year 2016, at the aim of gathering information about the training in PSUD in Europe, both from Child and Adolescent, and General Adult Psychiatric (CAP and GAP) trainees. Objectives The survey will investigate, at European level, the organisation of the PSUD training, trainees satisfaction, attitudes towards people who use psychoactive substances, management of pharmacologic and involvement in common clinical situations. Methods A 70-items questionnaire regarding the aforementioned objectives has been developed, and will be shared trough an online data-collecting system among European CAP and GAP trainees, with 40 trainees per country filling the survey in at least 30 countries (sample expected population of 1200). One national coordinator per country will facilitate the delivering of the survey. Results Twent-five national coordinators were enrolled so far. It is still needed to reach coordinators from other 5 European countries to fulfil the above criteria and start the study. Conclusions This survey will be the first to explore European psychiatric trainees attitudes and practices about PSUD. Findings from this independent survey may serve in understanding the needs of trainees in the field of substance misuse psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Physicians and psychologists at psychiatric university hospitals are assigned teaching tasks from the first day of work without necessarily having the prerequisite training in teaching methods. This exploratory survey provides a needs-based analysis for the prospective didactic training of physicians and psychologists at psychiatric hospitals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland., Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed at medical schools via email in German-speaking countries in Europe. All physicians involved in teaching medical students at psychiatry faculties were eligible to participate in the survey. Participants were further requested to recruit eligible participants (snowball sampling). Responses were analyzed descriptively, and differences between groups were calculated using nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests (p<.05)., Results: Overall, 97 respondents (male=55, female=42; mean age= 40.6) from 19 medical schools completed the survey. The respondents consisted of 43 residents, 39 specialists, 6 chief physicians and 9 psychologists. Of the respondents, 97.6% rated didactic competence as either highly relevant or rather relevant for teaching medical students. The highest overall interest was shown for bedside teaching (mode=4; IQR: 2-4) and error culture (mode=3; IQR: 2-4). Respondents expressed the highest training needs for topics regarding presentation and communication (mode=3; IQR: 2-3). Resident physicians were significantly more interested in bedside teaching (U=362.0, p=0.004) and roleplay (U=425.0; p=0.036) than specialist physicians, who were more interested in examination didactics (U=415.0; p=0.022). Chief physicians displayed significantly deeper interest in group dynamics (U=51; p=0.023) than specialist physicians. In-person training was preferred by a majority of respondents, and 27.4% preferred online/web-based training., Conclusions: The majority of physicians and psychologists at psychiatric university hospitals considered professional development for faculty to be helpful for teaching medical students. Bedside teaching and error culture management were the most desired teaching topics for training medical teachers. Tailored educational interventions are recommended, with target-oriented priorities for different hierarchical levels., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Baessler et al.)

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for improving public confidence in vaccines. Academic gaps and redundancies on vaccinations must be identified to revise the medical curriculum for up-to-date training of medical students. This cross-sectional survey assessed the status of vaccine-related teaching in general and specific to COVID-19 in medical schools across Germany. A total of 4313 medical students completed a questionnaire comprising items on national learning goals and perceived needs for teaching on vaccinations. Mixed methods were used to analyse data quantitatively for relative frequencies (%) and correlations between teaching items and semesters (Spearman’s rho), and qualitatively (content analysis). Our findings showed that 38.92% of the students were dissatisfied with teaching on vaccine-preventable diseases, but the perceived satisfaction increased in later semesters (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). Moreover, 75.84% and 68.15% of the students were dissatisfied with teaching related to vaccine scepticism and vaccine-related communication strategies, respectively. Furthermore, 63.79% reported dissatisfaction with teaching on COVID-19 disease and 72.93% with teaching on COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 79.12% stated they educated others on COVID-19 and its vaccines and 75.14% felt responsible to do so. A majority of the medical students were dissatisfied with teaching on dealing with vaccine scepticism, communication strategies and COVID-19 vaccines. We recommend practice-oriented vaccine education, especially for teaching communication skills to medical students.

Perinatal mental illness is associated with considerable maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. However, there are currently no specific guidelines on the standards and structure of postgraduate perinatal psychiatric training in Europe. We describe the characteristics of available and desired specialist perinatal psychiatry training from the perspective of European psychiatrists in training. An online survey was conducted among 34 national psychiatric trainee association representatives of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT). Participants from the countries in which perinatal psychiatry training was available were invited to participate in in-depth follow-up interviews. Six countries out of 34 (18%) reported that specialist training in perinatal mental health was available (Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Malta, and the UK). The nature of available training varied in duration, the supervision and assessment model employed, and the training scheme context. Of the 28 countries where specialist perinatal psychiatry training was unavailable, the majority of national representatives (22 countries, 76%) wanted specialist perinatal psychiatry training to be included in their national training curricula. There is a gap between the expected skills and the available training for psychiatrists to meet the mental healthcare needs of women in the perinatal period. Given the prevalence and impact of perinatal mental illness and the expressed desires of trainees themselves for specialist training, this finding should prompt urgent action., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Aim: In specialties that heavily rely on communication skills such as psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychosomatic medicine, teaching in times of the COVID-19 pandemic is especially challenging. In this overview, educators and course directors report their experiences in eteaching and share their innovative solutions., Methods: We present a collection of methods that relate to teaching and assessment as well as student activation., Results: A range of helpful tools for teaching were compiled. This includes instructional videos with simulated patients, structured homework to document a mental status examination, structured hand-offs, and practical examinations in video format. Motivational techniques include podcasts with interviews with clinicians and patients and teaching with the use of cinematic material., Discussion: Switching to online formats creates opportunities and advantages for the advancement of time- and location-independent learning. A fast conversion in this direction might also pose some disadvantages. A direct patient-student interaction is critical for engaging with transference, countertransference and situational aspects for teaching in psychosocial disciplines. Empirical studies of the effectiveness of these newly developed formats and faculty development for digital teaching are necessary., Competing Interests: Die Autorin Ina Kluge gibt an, dass Sie in den vergangenen drei Jahren vergütete Vorträge für die Firmen neuraxpharm und aristo zum Thema Depression gestaltet hat. Alle weiteren Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass keine Interessenskonflikte bestehen., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Psychiatry qualifications are automatically recognized among European Union (EU) countries despite differences in national training programs. A widening gap between the number of psychiatrists, their competencies and the growing burden of mental illnesses in Europe has renewed calls for international standardization of training. Comprehensive information about training programs is missing, which limits thorough comparisons and undermines development of an actionable strategy to improve and harmonize psychiatry training. This study describes and compares the existing postgraduate psychiatry programs in 42 countries in the European region. Representatives of national psychiatry associations completed a semi-structured, 58-item questionnaire. Training structure and working conditions of each country were compared with population needs calculated by the World Health Organization to determine the European mean and contrasted among pre-2004 and post-2004 EU members and countries with unrecognized qualifications. Differences were tested with nonparametric (Wilcoxon) and parametric (Anova) tests. Median training duration was 60 months, significantly shorter in countries with unrecognized qualifications (48 months, χ²16.5, p < 0.001). In 80% of the countries, placement in a non-psychiatric specialty such as neurology or internal medicine was mandatory. Only 17 countries (40%) stipulated a one-month rotation in substance abuse and 11 (26%) in old-age psychiatry. The overall deficit of training versus population need was 22% for substance abuse and 15% for old-age psychiatry. Salaries were significantly higher in pre-2004 EU members (χ²22.9, p < 0.001) with the highest in Switzerland (€5,000). Significant variations in curricula, training structure and salaries exist in Europe. Harmonization of training standards could offer significant benefits for improving mental healthcare., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.)

Aims : Teaching students about risk communication is an important aspect at medical schools given the growing importance of informed consent in healthcare. This observational study analyzes the quality of teaching content on risk communication and biostatistics at a medical school. Methods : Based on the concept of curriculum mapping, purpose-designed questionnaires were used via participant observers to record the frequency, characteristics and context of risk communication employed by lecturers during teaching sessions for one semester. The data was analyzed quantitatively and descriptively. Results : Teaching about risk communication was observed in 24.4% (n = 95 of 390) sessions. Prevalence varied significantly among different departments with dermatology having the highest rate (67.9%) but lesser in-depth teaching than medical psychology where risk communication concepts were discussed on a higher scale in 61.4% sessions. Relevant statistical values were not mentioned at all in 69% of these 95 sessions and clinical contexts were used rarely (55.8%). Supplementary teaching material was provided in 50.5% sessions while students asked questions in 18.9% sessions. Conclusions : Students are infrequently taught about communicating risks. When they are, the teaching does not include the mention of core biostatistics values nor does the teaching involve methods for demonstrating risk communication.

The majority of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and psychiatric disorders access mainstream mental health services across Europe. However, only 56% of countries provide postgraduate psychiatric training in ID according to a survey across 42 European countries. We explore the challenges of ID training and make recommendations for education and health policymakers.