Psychiatry training goes virtual: the experience of the first online edition of the EPA Research Summer School

Introduction: The European Psychiatric Association (EPA) Summer School allows psychiatric trainees and early career psychiatrists (ECPs) from all over Europe to meet, network, and learn together. After the 2020 edition being cancelled due to COVID-19, the 10th edition in 2021 focused for the first time on research and was conducted remotely. Objective(s): To provide an overview and feedback about the first Virtual EPA Research Summer School as a new way to encourage international networking during COVID-19. Method(s): The School was organized by the EPA Secretary for Education, and 4 Faculty members. It started with a breaking the ice session one week before and then a two-days meeting on 23-24 September 2021 using an online video-platform. This was preceded by all the 21 participants (from 18 different countries) recording a short 4-minute video presentation, which was uploaded and shared with other participants and Faculty. Result(s): Participants were divided on a voluntary basis into three working groups: 1) Drug repurposing: overcoming challenges in pharmacoepidemiology 2) Psychopathological research in psychiatry;3) How to conduct a cross-sectional survey?. The Summer School program was composed of plenary sessions with lectures by the Faculty members, discussion sessions, and working groups time. At the end, each group presented a summary of the work done to the rest of the participants. Conclusion(s): Although the remote format limits social interactions during the Summer School, overall participants' high satisfaction and productivity indicate that not only online formats, but also the topic of research might be covered in future editions.

10th EPA Summer School on Research 2021: sharing experience of the first online edition

The European Psychiatric Association (EPA) Summer School is an intensive program which has been organised for 10 years now by the EPA Committee on Education and allows selected psychiatric trainees and early career psychiatrists (ECPs) from all over Europe to meet, network, and learn together. After the 2020 edition being cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition was held online and continued the EPA educational mission in an innovative and up-to-date approach. Twenty one participants from 16 different countries were selected to attend by the EPA Committee on Education. During the two full days of training, participants were engaged in fundamental educational activities by renowned faculty members such as Dr. Cécile Hanon, Dr. Nicolas Hoertel, Dr. Mariana Pinto da Costa, Prof. Andrea Raballo, Prof. Norman Sartorius and Prof. Peter Falkai. This was the first time EPA Summer School centered its topic on Research in Psychiatry, giving a unique opportunity for ECPs and psychiatric trainees to enrich their knowledge and skills and to find inspiration for their future research. In this paper, we intend to share our experience and provide a perspective on what we have learned during the EPA Summer School sessions. Copyright © 2022 John Libbey Eurotext. L’université d’été de l’Association européenne de psychiatrie (EPA) est un programme intensif organisé depuis 10 ans par le Comité de l’éducation de l’EPA et permet à des stagiaires en psychiatrie et à des psychiatres en début de carrière (ECP) sélectionnés dans toute l’Europe de se rencontrer, de créer des réseaux et d’apprendre ensemble. Après l’annulation de l’édition 2020 en raison de la pandémie de Covid-19, l’édition 2021 s’est tenue en ligne et a poursuivi la mission éducative de l’EPA dans une approche innovante et actualisée. Vingt-et-un participants de 16 pays différents ont été sélectionnés par le comité d’éducation de l’EPA. Pendant les deux jours de formation, les participants ont participé à des activités éducatives fondamentales dispensées par des professeurs renommés tels que le Dr Cécile Hanon, le Dr Nicolas Hoertel, le Dr Mariana Pinto da Costa, le Pr Andrea Raballo, le Pr Norman Sartorius et le Pr Peter Falkai. C’était la première fois que l’école d’été de l’EPA centrait son sujet sur la recherche en psychiatrie, donnant ainsi une occasion unique aux ECP et aux stagiaires en psychiatrie d’enrichir leurs connaissances et leurs compétences et de trouver une inspiration pour leurs futures recherches. Dans cet article, nous avons l’intention de partager notre expérience et de fournir une perspective sur ce que nous avons appris pendant les sessions de l’école d’été de l’EPA. © 2022 John Libbey Eurotext. All rights reserved.

Support the frontliners - Good initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic for healthcare workers across the world: Is this what we really need?

Healthcare workers have faced an unprecedented workload in overstretched health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we describe various initiatives to support them. Psychological, financial and peer support, accommodation and meal services, proper personal protective equipment, applause and gratitude in the community, spiritual and religious life, child care and volunteering were identified. The potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic - permanent stress, burnout and other mental health problems among healthcare professionals - can be expected to grow. Continued monitoring is essential to bolster resilience among healthcare workers and prevent the possible consequences for their mental health. Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting women's menstrual cycles and quality of life? A view from South Asia

The substantial strain that women are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic can affect their menstrual cycle and further impair their quality of life. In low- and middle-income countries, this strain is exacerbated by: cultural taboos and poor education related to menstruation;'period poverty';unavailability of menstrual hygiene products;and poor hygiene facilities. We suggest actions that governments, healthcare professionals and individuals can take to address these factors and minimise the psychological impact of COVID-19 on women's physical and mental health. © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Suicidal behavior sociocultural factors in developing countries during COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: Sociocultural factors in the aftermath of any pandemic can play a role in increasing suicidal behavior like suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts, or suicide. The authors discuss the risk and predisposing factors for suicidal ideation among mental health patients in four developing countries (Bangladesh, Colombia, India and Pakistan), this aims to grasp the heterogeneity of these motivators and to elaborate specific interventions regarding suicide in the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar through March, 2021 for articles using a combination of the keywords and generic terms for suicide, suicide ideation, COVID-19, developing countries, low-middle-income countries, Sociocultural factors, Suicidal behavior, predisposing factors and predictive factors, for articles in English language only, and without publication time restriction. RESULTS: This narrative review summarizes the sociocultural risk and predisposing factors for suicidal behavior in developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal those factors such as fear of being infected, growing economic pressure, lack of resources due to lockdown are mostly responsible in the four countries for the current increase in suicides. There are a few cultural differences that are specified in the narrative. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health challenge, in which prevention and intervention of suicidal behavior have been suboptimal, especially in low-middle-income countries. Based on literature results, we provide practical suggestions (e.g., reducing infodemic, specialized helplines, improving mental health services availability) in order to tackle main challenges of suicide prevention, such as lack of adequate manpower, fragile health system and poverty.

Impact of videoconferencing applications on mental health

Under the circumstances of the current COVID-19 pandemic, videoconferencing applications (apps) have come into the mainstream across the world. Owing to their easy availability and cost-effectiveness, they are used in personal as well as professional lives to communicate. They have been very helpful for students and professionals to ensure that their routine work did not halt when various countries imposed lockdown rules restricting travel, social gatherings and other measures that resulted in reduced in-person meetings. However, they have their own set of disadvantages, aptly called 'Zoom gloom/fatigue', named after a popular videoconferencing platform. Users are also noted to have anxiety while using these apps. Therefore, immediate attention is warranted to ensure cautious usage and to reduce the distress associated with videoconferencing apps while maintaining the obvious advantages that these methods have rapidly spread all over the world. Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.