Biomedical subjects

Mariana Pinto da Costa

Publications and source records attributed to Mariana Pinto da Costa.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Psychotherapy training in psychiatry: a systematic review and narrative synthesis on the supervision experiences of early-career psychiatrists.

BACKGROUND: Supervision is a fundamental component of psychotherapy training, transforming theoretical knowledge into clinical skills through real-world practice. Psychotherapy training practices vary widely between countries, training programs, and over time, including supervision. Our systematic review aimed to investigate and describe the experiences of psychotherapy supervision through early-career psychiatrists' (ECPs) views. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and PubPsych for survey-based studies on ECPs' experiences of psychotherapy supervision during or after their psychiatry training and reported our findings according to the PRISMA guidelines. Of 32,877 articles screened, 29 articles were included. Each article underwent quality assessment, and results were synthesized narratively. RESULTS: Included articles published between 2000 and 2025, were from Europe (N = 16, 55.1%), the Americas (N = 5, 17.2%), Western Pacific (N = 4, 13.7%), South-East Asia (N = 2, 7%), Eastern Mediterranean (N = 1, 3.5%), and Africa (N = 1, 3.5%), with a total of 4691 participants. Supervision access rates ranged from 26.2% in Nigeria to 85.5% in Russia, with significant variation across countries and psychotherapy modalities. Most ECPs received 50-100 total hours of supervision, frequently delivered in weekly sessions. While formats, individual, group, or mixed, varied by country and training scheme, supervision was generally provided by a psychiatrist-psychotherapist. Common learning techniques included oral consultations and case discussions, followed by audio recordings or transcripts. The need to self-fund psychotherapy supervision costs was identified as a prominent barrier. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotherapy supervision is inconsistent globally, with barriers including supervisor availability and cost. There is a large implementation gap between recommendations and evaluated practice. Digital tools and competency-based frameworks may improve access and quality.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Early career psychiatrists' ability to evaluate and manage negative symptoms of schizophrenia - Results from a European survey.

BACKGROUND: Negative symptoms (NS) represent an important unmet need in schizophrenia (SZ) assessment and management. Despite NS are strongly associated with poorer functioning and quality of life, they are frequently underrecognized, inconsistently evaluated, and show limited response to current treatments. Although specific assessment tools and European Psychiatric Association (EPA) guidance on NS have been developed, their impact on routine clinical practice appears limited. This study aimed to investigate the competence and confidence of European Early Career Psychiatrists (ECPs) in NS evaluation and management. METHODS: The CARE project was a cross-sectional online survey directed towards ECPs from European countries. RESULTS: 828 ECPs' responses were collected from 19 countries. The majority of ECPs were trainees (65.8%), reported theoretical training in negative symptoms (NS) and placements in schizophrenia-specialized settings (67.9% and 70.3%), while about half reported extracurricular NS training (51.1%) and involvement in clinical research (46.1%). Only 11% correctly identified NS domains, despite 65.7% felt well-trained in NS assessment tools. Just 15.9% correctly answered questions based on the EPA guidance papers. 46.7% and 25.9% ECPs reported feeling competent in NS evaluation and management, respectively. Gender (men) specialist status, research involvement, theoretical NS training, and placements in specialized SZ services predicted perceived competence. However, in-depth NS knowledge was predicted only by specialist status, engagement in clinical research, and extracurricular NS training. CONCLUSIONS: Despite reported exposure to NS training, ECPs demonstrated limited knowledge of NS. Actions need to be taken to ensure that ECPs receive the highest standard of training in NS.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Policy paper of the Committee on Ethics and Task Force on Migration and Mental Health: Migration and mental health of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers - Ethical dilemmas and concerns.

BACKGROUND: International migration is a complex phenomenon of global and historical relevance. It includes voluntary, forced, and workforce migration, shaped by diverse determinants. Push factors comprise war, persecution, and political instability, while pull factors include stability, economic opportunities, education, and favorable living conditions. Forced migration is frequently associated with displacement and a disproportionate burden of mental health disorders, which are urgent yet difficult to address due to structural, cultural, and legal barriers. METHODS: Evidence demonstrates that restricted health care access exacerbates psychiatric disorders, while treatment delays contribute to poorer outcomes. Barriers include administrative limitations, linguistic and cultural differences, stigma, and resource shortages. This policy paper was developed by the Committee on Ethics and the Task Force on Migration and Mental Health of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA). Relevant literature was reviewed and combined with the professional expertise of committee members. The draft was subsequently evaluated by the Publication Committee and the EPA Board, and revised accordingly. RESULTS: Ethical principles in refugee care are insufficiently implemented in many European countries. Core principles of medical ethics - beneficence, respect for autonomy, non-maleficence, and justice - as well as the obligation to advance psychiatric standards and apply psychiatric expertise for societal benefit, are inconsistently upheld. CONCLUSIONS: The primary duty of physicians is to promote health and well-being through competent, timely, and compassionate care. The EPA therefore advocates coordinated strategies to mitigate the mental health consequences of war, displacement, and trauma, and to secure equitable access to psychiatric services for migrants and refugees.

Humans↗