Psychiatry and mental health teaching programs of eight portuguese-speaking schools of medicine: A comparative analysis.

Background: Improvement of teaching methods in psychiatry has been the subject of permanent adaptation and innovation. Strengthening graduate education skills in psychiatry and mental health will allow physicians to have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to carry out early diagnosis and treatment at primary healthcare settings, taking into consideration that the population should benefit from the best interventions by general practitioners. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine how the undergraduate program of psychiatry and mental health subject in the schools of medicine of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries in the three continents is structured. Methods: The methods include a narrative description of the program of psychiatry, the workload, the delivery and assessment methods, and the ethical and socio-cultural aspects in psychiatry and research made by the director of the course of psychiatry in Portugal, Brazil, and Mozambique. Results: Eight schools of medicine from Portugal, Brazil, and Mozambique participated in the study. All these schools use standards which are defined by the regulatory bodies of their countries. The teaching year varied between the third and the sixth. The workload varied between 140 and 224 h. Topics were addressed in presence or virtual methods. Combined qualitative and quantitative assessment is done to encompass competencies, skills and knowledge based on clinical histories, ongoing assessment, seminars, and final written tests. Ethical and socio-cultural aspects in various strands are taught to be linked to the local reality. Research is encouraged by using grants. Conclusion: Teaching psychiatry follows global and national standards and is organized according to the reality of each country. Psychiatry departments from these three continents invest in teaching methodologies that encourage self-knowledge and the development of critical thinking, which is evaluated in a holistic context. The authors consider that the programs should have a workload according to the current burden of mental illness.

Os desafios para o ensino de emergências de psiquiatria em desastres e conflitos armados / The challenges of Teaching Psychiatric Emergencies in situations of natural disasters and armed conflicts

Resumo: Introdução: A população moçambicana tem sido recorrentemente afectada por situações traumáticas devido a catástrofes naturais (ciclones, secas, inundações) ou provocadas pelo homem (conflitos armados), que podem levar ao desenvolvimento de perturbações mentais que, se não forem identificadas e tratadas, deixarão sequelas graves e causarão cronicidade. Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo promover uma reflexão sobre a inclusão de temas psiquiátricos de emergência em desastres naturais e conflitos armados nas disciplinas ou módulos de psiquiatria, nos cursos de formação de graduação nas escolas médicas de Moçambique. Método: Trata-se de revisão narrativa da bibliografia, realizada entre abril e junho de 2021, com foco na pesquisa de artigos e documentos publicados nas plataformas virtuais Research4Life, PubMed, Hifa-pt e Google Scholar que abordam o tema desastres naturais e conflitos armados e seu ensino para estudantes de Medicina na disciplina de psiquiatria. Resultado: A inclusão das emergências psiquiátricas em desastres e conflitos armados no curso de Medicina pode proporcionar aos clínicos gerais que atuam na atenção primária à saúde conhecimentos e habilidades para que possam reconhecer emergências psiquiátricas causadas por desastres naturais e conflitos armados e trabalhar nelas, levando em consideração que o país atualmente tem poucos médicos especializados em psiquiatria. Conclusão: A adequada organização e assistência em emergências psiquiátricas à população exposta a desastres naturais e conflitos armados contribui para a resiliência e salvaguarda da saúde mental das comunidades. Neste ensaio, refletimos sobre o desafio de incorporar os temas das emergências psiquiátricas causadas pela exposição a desastres naturais e conflitos bélicos como contribuição para melhorar as habilidades dos médicos generalistas na resposta às demandas prementes de saúde mental dessa população vulnerável.

Abstract: Introduction: The Mozambican population has been recurrently affected by traumatic situations due to natural (cyclones, droughts, floods) or man-made (armed conflicts) catastrophes, which can lead to the development of mental disorders that, if not identified and treated, result in severe sequelae and cause chronicity. Objectives: To promote a reflection on the inclusion of emergency psychiatric topics in natural disasters and armed conflicts in the disciplines or modules of psychiatry in undergraduate medical school courses in Mozambique. Methods: Narrative literature review carried out between April and June 2021, focusing on the research of articles and documents published on the virtual platforms Research4life, PubMed, Hifa-PT, Google Scholar and that address the topics of natural disasters and armed conflicts and the teaching of these topics to medical students in the discipline of psychiatry. Results: The inclusion of psychiatric emergencies in situations of natural disasters and armed conflicts in the medical course can provide general practitioners who work in primary health care with knowledge and skills to recognize and act in psychiatric emergencies caused by natural disasters and armed conflicts, taking into account the fact that the country currently has few doctors specialized in psychiatry. Final considerations: The adequacy of the organization and assistance in psychiatric emergencies to the population exposed to natural disasters and armed conflicts contributes to the resilience and protection of the mental health of the communities. In this article, we reflect on the challenge of incorporating the topics of psychiatric emergencies caused by exposure to natural disasters and armed conflicts as a contribution to improving the skills of general practitioners in responding to the pressing mental health demands of this vulnerable population.