key: cord-0685366-apml52mu authors: da Costa, Carolina Barros Ferreira; da Silva, Orli Carvalho title: COVID-19 pandemic: filling the gaps in psychiatry residency programs date: 2020-08-14 journal: Trends in psychiatry and psychotherapy DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2020-0051 sha: 150d9d6ab7eda6b139c16f707fcbc4e684f43606 doc_id: 685366 cord_uid: apml52mu nan Learning and practice are the best words to define a medical residency program. 1 Regarding inpatient care, it is well known that severe mental illness can hinder the maintenance of adequate hygiene practices. 9 This pandemic reasserts the urgent need to address body and soul as one during learning and practice. There is no physical health without mental health. 10 Therefore, providing at least one isolation room is mandatory even for psychiatry wards in general hospitals. The asylum structure should be reorganized to avoid over-crowding, so that both patients and health professionals are safeguarded. In the outpatient setting, easy access to patient data with updated phone numbers has been crucial to reach out and advise patients remotely. The goals are to reduce the risk of treatment abandonment, guarantee medication supplies and manage mental health crises. [3] [4] [5] Furthermore, telephone outreach has also been an important way to educate patients about COVID-19 preventive measures. Training in telemental health may be here to stay and it is an opportunity to improve access for underserved communities. However, a sensitive issue is the excessive use of technology during and after the pandemic, especially among children and adolescents, since social skills and hands-on exploration are important for their development and well-being. 11 Medical residency program supervisors should expect an increasing demand for all ages over the next months, not only because of the pandemic but also due to activities overly dependent on technology. 6, 12 Regarding the support provided to health professionals, this pandemic is a great opportunity for psychiatrists to promote mental health, prevent psychiatric disorders and, therefore, improve their sense of self-efficacy at the frontline. 5 Psychiatric disorders are known to increase the chances of error at work, which now represents a risk not only for patients but also for the professionals themselves. 8 This is a challenge because promotion of mental health and occupational mental health are frequently left aside in psychiatry residency programs. Submitted May 03 2020, accepted for publication May 31 2020. No conflicts of interest declared concerning the publication of this article. Suggested citation: Costa CBF, Silva Filho OC. COVID-19 Percepção e conhecimento de médicos residentes em pediatria no Rio de Janeiro sobre comportamento suicida na infância e na adolescência Instituto da Saúde da Mulher, da Criança e do Adolescente Fernandes Figueira, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Análise da ABEM sobre os desafios atuais envolvendo a residência médica An updated systematic review on the coronavirus pandemic: lessons for psychiatry Best practices in videoconferencing-based telemental health The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare professionals Psychiatry of pandemics: a mental health response to infection outbreak Association of perceived medical errors with resident distress and empathy: a prospective longitudinal study Personality differences and COVID-19: are extroversion and conscientiousness personality traits associated with engagement with containment measures? Trends Psychiatry Psychother Online ahead of print An outbreak of tuberculosis among adults with mental illness World Health Organization. No physical health without mental health: lessons unlearned? Prevalence of problematic smartphone usage and associated mental health outcomes amongst children and young people: a systematic review, meta-analysis and GRADE of the evidence Inter-Agency Standing Committee. IASC guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings