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Studies on the COVID-19 pandemic highlight detrimental effects of social distancing on mental health. These effects were also observed among caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who undergo particular challenges in this context. This study aimed to identify the coping strategies adopted by caregivers of people with IDD in the period of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship to signs of mental illness. Forty-eight caregivers of people with IDD who were users of a non-governmental organization for the assistance of people with IDD and their families in southeastern Brazil undertook an on-line survey. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, multiple regression, and the word cloud technique. Results indicate that most caregivers employed healthy coping strategies and used negative words to describe their feelings towards the pandemic. Confrontation, withdrawal, self-control, social support, acceptance, and escape correlated with psychological symptoms (stress, depression, or loneliness). Those symptoms were more prevalent among participants using escape as a coping strategy. These findings indicate that caregivers of people with National Deworming Day (NDD) used mostly positive coping strategies to face the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have contributed to the low prevalence of psychological burden in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiology is a useful tool for diagnosis and intervention in medical practice, and all the components within the teaching-learning process of this subject during undergraduate studies influence successful knowledge application. Objective: This study aimed to describe the level of knowledge in radiology of students in the last two years of medical school and curricular characteristics of their courses in seven Latin American countries. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out on medical students of 7 Latin American countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru) in their final two years of medical school, using an online questionnaire validated by experts and adapted for each country that assessed knowledge and curricular characteristics in radiology subject. Scores were assigned according to the number of correct answers for the knowledge test. The T-test, and regression analysis with one-way ANOVA were used to search for relationships between the level of knowledge and other variables. Results: A total of 1514 medical students participated in this study. All countries had similar participation (n > 200); most participants were women 57.8%. The country with the highest knowledge score was Brazil. Male, sixth year (internship) and from public universities students had higher knowledge score (n < 0.05). Participants, who considered radiology more important, and who reported higher compliance with teaching staff with the proposed syllabus, and programmed classes, obtained better scores (n < 0.05). Conclusions: Latin American medical students included in this study have a regular overall level of knowledge of Radiology, apparently influenced by curricular differences such as class and academic program compliance. Efforts to better understand and improve academic training are indispensable. Limitations: The study was subject to selection bias determined by non-probability convenience sampling. The questionnaire assessed only theoretical knowledge and the evaluation system was designed by the investigators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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