The EFPT-PSUD survey

Introduction Although psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUD) belong to the domain of mental health, their management varies greatly among European countries. Furthermore, both the role of psychiatrists and trainees in the treatment of PSUD is not the same for each European country. Aims Among the context of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT), the PSUD Working Group has developed a survey that has been spread out between the 15th of august 2015 and 15th of October 2016, at the aim of gathering information about the training in PSUD in Europe, both from Child and Adolescent, and General Adult Psychiatric (CAP and GAP) trainees. Objectives The survey investigated, at European level, the organisation of the PSUD training, trainees satisfaction, attitudes towards people who use psychoactive substances, management of pharmacologic and involvement in common clinical situations. Methods A 70-items questionnaire regarding the aforementioned objectives was developed, and shared trough an online data-collecting system among European CAP and GAP trainees, with 40 trainees per country filling the survey in at least 25 countries. One national coordinator per country facilitated the delivering of the survey. Results A total of 1250 surveys were filled from more than 25 European countries. Conclusions Data from the survey will be promptly analysed. The survey will be the first to explore European psychiatric trainees attitudes and practices about PSUD. Findings from this independent survey may serve in understanding the needs of trainees in the field of substance misuse psychiatry.