WPA activities in the field of publications during the 2017-2020 triennium

Romanian psychiatric residents' opinions on factors that influence their decision to emigrate: A 5-year follow-up study

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the situation of migration of psychiatrists from Romania and a prioritization exercise of main factors related with psychiatric residents' decision to emigrate could be a starting point of elaboration of a strategy of reforms. Important changes have been done in economic status of residents in 2018. The impact of these measures in changing opinions was checked.

METHODS

This is a cross sectional evaluation study on a randomized selected sample of Romanian psychiatric residents' opinions on factors that influence decision of migration in EU countries in two time points, 2015 and 2020.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight percent of residents intend to work abroad comparing with 78% before the economic changes (25.8% vs. 71.7% for a limited period of time and 15.7% vs. 28.3% intend to emigrate) and 2% vs. 5% intend to leave the specialty. The important factors for decision to emigrate changed from "Better working conditions" (15.7% vs. 37.3% residents) to "Better training"; the factor "respect and appreciation by colleagues" remained important for 19.1% versus 17.9%. "Lack of working place for partner" was considered by 26.7% of responders as an important disadvantage of working abroad. "Being far from family members", which was considered 5 years ago by 64.2% of responders as an important disadvantage of working abroad, nowadays concerns only 6.7%, probably because it seems easier to go abroad together with the family members.

CONCLUSIONS

The factors (better training in psychiatry and psychotherapy, better supervision, more involvement in research) that influence the residents' decision to emigrate represent the starting points for future reforms in educational and medical system in psychiatry.

How to improve the quality of World Psychiatric Association educational activities? Results from an online survey with World Psychiatric Association zonal representatives

INTRODUCTION

The World Psychiatric Association (WPA), a global association representing 145 psychiatric societies in 121 countries, has a specific focus on education and learning, promoting educational programs on a regular basis. Education in mental health is a continuously evolving phenomenon, although it happens quite often that it is still based on a knowledge formed in the last century and with the latest scientific updates mainly available in English. The WPA is constantly committed in improving and updating the type of educational materials available and ready to be disseminated worldwide.

METHODS

An online survey has been developed and sent to the 18 WPA zonal representatives in order: to evaluate the educational needs for mental health, to translate materials into native languages or inclusivity, and to prioritize educational activities to be developed by the WPA in the next years.

RESULTS

Fifteen out of the 18 zonal representatives participated in the study. According to the public mental health perspective, collaboration with general practitioners (GPs) (80%), communities/stakeholders (66.7%) and programs for promoting mental health in schools (53.3%) are the most prioritized activities carried out. Programs for suicide prevention (86.7%) and promotion of mental health and well-being in the general population (66.7%) are considered as the most relevant to be implemented. From the healthcare perspective, new knowledge on pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions (73%) was requested. The educational packages are mostly available in the English language, although respondents prioritize the translation of WPA educational material into, at least, Spanish and French. The most preferred formats for educational activities are webinar live (80%) and key opinion lectures (66.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings represent the first step in the continuing promotion of education carried out by the WPA. We aim to run these kinds of initiatives from time to time in order to adapt themes and topics of these materials to the real educational needs of all mental healthcare professionals worldwide.

How to overcome barriers to publication in low- and middle-income countries: Recommendations from early career psychiatrists and researchers from around the world

There is an increasing movement toward international collaboration and global discussion in mental health. If provided with the right opportunities, early career psychiatrists (ECPs) and researchers in mental health can contribute meaningfully to this discussion. However, they often experience multiple barriers when attempting to add their voices via academic publications. We represent a diverse group of ECPs and researchers from all six World Health Organization regions. In this piece, we discuss these barriers, grounded in our first-hand experiences, and put forth a series of recommendations. The most potentially beneficial and immediate way forward is ensuring a much-needed mentorship and support, particularly for low- and middle-income countries. In this regard, international organizations, especially those with a particular focus on education, such as the Section on Education in Psychiatry of the World Psychiatric Association, can play a pivotal role.

Training the trainers: Finding new educational opportunities in the virtual world

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted scientific gatherings and conferences, opening up opportunities for virtual learning platforms. Realizing the potential of online academic exchanges, the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) also developed virtual avenues and information systems for capacity building of mental health professionals across the world. Among its first such initiatives, the WPA organized a virtual Train the Trainers workshop, where 123 psychiatrists, psychiatric trainees, and educators from 45 countries participated. The innovative and interactive workshop allowed participants to get to know each other, exchange educational and professional experiences, and ask questions or receive advice from experts. Keynote speakers, including WPA President Prof. Afzal Javed and Prof. Norman Sartorius, stressed upon the importance of finding innovative solutions in psychiatry training and the need to improve teaching and training in the field of psychiatry, especially in the provision of leadership and communication skills. Online training methods can provide easy access to academics and students while reducing the organizational and logistical costs. They have the potential to improve educational equality and allow the voice of the underprivileged scientists to be heard across the globe. The devastating impact on access to mental health services during COVID-19 underscores the urgent need for online training, particularly in countries where the ratio of psychiatrists to patients is inadequate and doctors concentrate more on treatment than on research and education. Virtual educational interventions could prove incredibly useful in the future just as they are being successfully utilized in local and regional contexts during the pandemic.