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Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022 Apr 10:e12511. Epub 2022 Apr 10.

Morita Therapy Institute, Tokyo, Japan.

We review the history of Morita therapy (MT), which has existed for over 100 years, and examine what has changed over that period and what has not. Classic MT, which was dependent on a highly strict therapeutic approach, gradually lost its pre-eminence, but at the same time, the fundamental theory of MT was refined. This theory came to be applied to current outpatient MT and adapted to inpatient MT. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022 06 20;14(2):e12508. Epub 2022 Feb 20.

Mindful, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022 06 20;14(2):e12509. Epub 2022 Feb 20.

Department of International Medical Education, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022 Jun 17;14(2):e12510. Epub 2022 Feb 17.

Mindful, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Introduction: In June 2020, St Vincent's Mental Health, Fiji National University, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry collaborated to deliver online, specialized child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) training to Pacific-based healthcare workers. This accompanying research aimed to understand the telehealth model and structures that would sustain an engaged community of practice and support the development of professional networks across the Pacific.

Method: Quantitative and qualitative feedback was analyzed to understand participation and self-rated measures of skills, knowledge, and confidence in providing health care for children and young people, as well as experiences of training, including access, engagement, and applicability of the initiative to the Pacific Islands health care organizations. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec;13(4):e12507

University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova, Dolj, Romania.

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. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec;13(4):e12503

Department of Psychiatry, Amoud University, Borama, Somalia.

Amoud University in Borama is located in the self-declared state of Somaliland, in the Horn of Africa. Past conflicts and resulting economic hardship have led to a lack of local academic psychiatry faculty and resources. Amoud has been for some years partnering with voluntary faculty in the United Kingdom to teach psychiatry to its medical students through in-person "teaching missions. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 16:e12506. Epub 2021 Dec 16.

Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.

Objective: The stigma and prejudice of the public regarding psychiatric disorders are a long-standing social problem. However, health professionals are more likely to have negative attitudes and label people with mental health conditions. This study aimed to investigate how self-rated familiarity and literacy about schizophrenia are related to social distancing towards schizophrenia patients among health professionals in Taiwan. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 13:e12505. Epub 2021 Dec 13.

Department of General Adult Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, China.

Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the estimated prevalence of mental disorders among offenders and compare the estimated crime rate between mentally ill patients and the total population in Hong Kong.

Methods: Service data of offenders referred to psychiatrists at the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre from January 2011 to December 2020 were analyzed. Demographic data of gender, age on admission, educational level, principal psychiatric diagnosis, index offense, and assessment outcome were collected. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 8:e12504. Epub 2021 Dec 8.

Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioural Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Nagoya, Japan.

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12493. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Since the start of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, training of psychiatry and mental health has been impacted considerably. We illustrated the change of academic and clinical psychiatric residency training procedure at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, a developing country situated in South East Asia which is categorized in the low and middle income category of countries. The training setting has set up a task force responsible to set various strategies in response to the COVID-19 measure of social and physical distancing to maintain standard of care for psychiatric patients and educational experience for psychiatric residents. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12492. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

NIHR-Global Research Group on Psychosis Outcomes-WIC Programme, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Background: Addictive disorders are a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. The burden of addictive disorders in LMIC is expected to grow further over the coming years.

Aims: In this article we present the observations from the existing literature on the current status of education and training on addiction psychiatry in LMIC and provide recommendation on way forward for this specialized field of psychiatry. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12496. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Department of Psychiatry, Razi University Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia.

Recent advances in information technology (IT) provided us with novel teaching solutions, with the potential of a new enhanced learning experience, that is, more adapted to the needs and preferences of the younger generations of psychiatric trainees. These tools include the use of online/virtual whiteboards, live surveys/polls, live quizzes, virtual classrooms, and virtual reality. In the present paper, we describe the implementation of modern technology in psychiatric training in Tunisia, a North-African middle-income country. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12491. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, India.

Medical education in India is undergoing a landmark transformation under the National Medical Commission implementing competency-based medical education (CBME). The CBME approach intends to ensure that medical graduates acquire the competencies needed to fulfill the health needs of the patient and society. This outcome-based approach shifts the focus from the traditional knowledge-based training to skill-based training valued on attitude, ethics, and communication (AETCOM) competencies. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12494. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Department of Psychiatry, Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK.

"Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you."-Carl Jung. Essentially, Jung was saying that a sane man does not exist. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12498. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, The "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.

Background: Romania has been a member of the European Union since 2007. According to the World Health Organization, the national burden of mental disorders is high, with 2743.69 disability-adjusted life years per 100. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12495. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Department of Social and Community Health, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

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. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12497. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of Mental Ill-Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

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. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12501. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.

Background: Digital mental health interventions and digital psychiatry have been rapidly implemented over the past decade, particularly with the intent to offer a cost-effective solution in those circumstances in which the current mental health services and infrastructure are not able to properly accommodate the patients' needs. However, mental health workforce is often poorly theoretical/practical trained in digital psychiatry and in delivering remote consultations safely and effectively, not being common to own curricula-specific training requirements in digital psychiatry and skills.

Methods: A web-based international cross-sectional survey was carried out by a working group constituted by one or two national representative(s) of each WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions (APAC), with the aim to evaluate the level of training, knowledge, experience, and perception regarding the topic of digital psychiatry in a sample constituted by medical students, psychiatry trainees, and early career psychiatrists from APAC. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Dec 7;13(4):e12499. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.

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. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 12 7;13(4):e12500. Epub 2021 Dec 7.

WPA President, World Psychiatric Association (WPA), Geneva, Switzerland.

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022 Jun 17;14(2):e12490. Epub 2021 Oct 17.

Regional Center for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Introduction: Despite the high proportion of children and adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries, 95% of all specialized child and adolescent mental health resources are located in high-income countries. To strengthen child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), first it is necessary to complete an assessment of the available services and training programs to determine what is needed, particularly in regions with young populations, such as Southeast Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East. The aim of this article is to compare the status of child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) training programs and the workforce in CAMHS in three geographical regions, to identify similar problems, highlight success stories, and to make recommendations for future studies. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022 Jun 30;14(2):e12489. Epub 2021 Sep 30.

Department of Social Medicine, College of Health Management, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Introduction: Parents who have lost their only child and over the age of 60 are known as elderly shidu parents. This study aimed to investigate predictors of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) among Chinese elderly shidu parents.

Methods: Two hundred and ninety-eight elderly shidu parents from Shenyang were included in this cross-sectional study. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022 Mar 14;14(1):e12488. Epub 2021 Sep 14.

Graduate School of Medicine, International Center for Medical Research, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.

Introduction: After extensive research, this study explored whether high-dose prescriptions and polypharmacy remain more frequent in Japan than elsewhere. If confirmed, we aimed to identify the factors that contributed to this unique trend.

Methods: The psychotropic drug prescription patterns for patients with schizophrenia in Japan were reviewed. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Sep 12:e12487. Epub 2021 Sep 12.

Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Introduction: Previous studies demonstrated a trend of increasing common mental disorders among the Emergency Department (ED) visitors in Western countries. Little is known about the current conditions of the emergency psychiatric services in Asian countries. This study aims to survey the current epidemiology and the changing ecology of emergency psychiatry services in Taiwan. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022 Jun 25;14(2):e12486. Epub 2021 Aug 25.

Institute of Mental Health, Buangkok Green Medical Park, Singapore, Singapore.

Background: Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder which poses substantial illness burden on affected individuals. In view of the need to better understand the growing literature on resilience (adaptation in the face of adversity) and its clinical correlates to inform and optimize clinical management in schizophrenia, we sought to summarize the extant literature which examined the inter-relationships between resilience and demographic features, phenomenology, illness course, psychosocial functioning, and its mediational role among relevant factors.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted on published empirical studies examining the topic of resilience and clinical correlates within schizophrenia spectrum conditions up until December 2020. Read More

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Sep;13(3):e12481

Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021 Jul 30:e12485. Epub 2021 Jul 30.

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia.

A language disorder is a significant symptom of schizophrenia. A psychiatrist can find this disorder when interviews with a patient. Screening and diagnosis in patients with schizophrenia alone rely heavily on interviews conducted on patients and any instructions captured from patients both verbally and nonverbally. Read More