The European Journal of Psychiatric Trainees was founded in 2022 as the official journal of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) to offer a peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal with minimal article processing charges. The journal is edited by trainees and early career psychiatrists and published its first issue in July 2023. The journal aims to facilitate publishing experience and opportunities for trainees. To reflect the global identity and inclusivity of psychiatric research, the journal changed its name in 2023 to become the International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees.

To present the International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees, the successor of the European Journal of Psychiatric Trainees, and other practical aspects related to the article submission.

We will reflect on the International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees, focusing on what this name change will imply for the journal’s scope, mission and readership.

Due to training programmes’ requirements or out of interest, psychiatric trainees are encouraged to conduct scientific research. However, several known barriers to scientific publishing exist, ranging from a lack of mentorship and supervision to limited scientific support. Like the European Journal of Psychiatric Trainees, the International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees continues to be an open-access, double-blind peer-reviewed journal with minimal/no publication fees that publishes original and innovative research as well as clinical, theory, perspective, and policy articles and reviews in the field of psychiatric training, psychiatry, and mental health.

Since the difficulties and needs in creating research output are not exclusive to European trainees, the journal will become more attractive to readers and authors from other countries while increasing the diversity of articles.

The first International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees issue will be dedicated to the 31st EFPT Forum with the theme “Trainee Mental Health”, containing articles reporting on the projects from National Psychiatric Trainee Associations looking into trainee mental health. Submissions for the regular edition remain open, and articles should be submitted through the manuscript submission platform (https://ijpt.scholasticahq.com)

The International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees aims to be an educative scientific journal for psychiatric trainees and other psychiatry and mental health researchers. The name change and its increased openness will help the authors reach a wider readership while the journal can feature a more comprehensive record of psychiatric research through its global scope.

None Declared

To examine the association of co-morbidity with home-time after acute stroke and whether the association is influenced by age.

We conducted a province-wide study using linked administrative databases to identify all admissions for first acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage between 2007 and 2018 in Alberta, Canada. We used ischemic stroke-weighted Charlson Co-morbidity Index of 3 or more to identify those with severe co-morbidity. We used zero-inflated negative binomial models to determine the association of severe co-morbidity with 90-day and 1-year home-time, and logistic models for achieving ≥ 80 out of 90 days of home-time, assessing for effect modification by age and adjusting for sex, stroke type, comprehensive stroke center care, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, year of study, and separately adjusting for estimated stroke severity. We also evaluated individual co-morbidities.

Among 28,672 patients in our final cohort, severe co-morbidity was present in 27.7% and was associated with lower home-time, with a greater number of days lost at younger age (−13 days at age < 60 compared to −7 days at age 80+ years for 90-day home-time; −69 days at age < 60 compared to −51 days at age 80+ years for 1-year home-time). The reduction in probability of achieving ≥ 80 days of home-time was also greater at younger age (−22.7% at age < 60 years compared to −9.0% at age 80+ years). Results were attenuated but remained significant after adjusting for estimated stroke severity and excluding those who died. Myocardial infarction, diabetes, and cancer/metastases had a greater association with lower home-time at younger age, and those with dementia had the greatest reduction in home time.

Severe co-morbidity in acute stroke is associated with lower home-time, more strongly at younger age.

This study describes the illness burden in the first year of life for children with single-ventricle heart disease, using the metric of days alive and out of hospital to characterize morbidity and mortality.

This is a retrospective single-centre study of single-ventricle patients born between 2005 and 2021 who had their initial operation performed at our institution. Patient demographics, anatomical details, and hospitalizations were extracted from our institutional single-ventricle database. Days alive and out of hospital were calculated by subtracting the number of days hospitalized from number of days alive during the first year of life. A multivariable linear regression with stepwise variable selection was used to determine independent risk factors associated with fewer days alive and out of hospital.

In total, 437 patients were included. Overall median number of days alive and out of hospital in the first year of life for single-ventricle patients was 278 days (interquartile range 157–319 days). In a multivariable analysis, low birth weight (<2.5kg) (b = −37.55, p = 0.01), presence of a dominant right ventricle (b = −31.05, p = 0.01), moderate-severe dominant atrioventricular valve regurgitation at birth (b = −37.65, p < 0.05), index hybrid Norwood operation (b = −138.73, p < 0.01), or index heart transplant (b = −158.41, p < 0.01) were all independently associated with fewer days alive and out of hospital.

Children with single-ventricle heart defects have significant illness burden in the first year of life. Identifying risk factors associated with fewer days alive and out of hospital may aid in counselling families regarding expectations and patient prognosis.

This study aimed to assess degree of audiovestibular handicap in patients with vestibular schwannoma.

Audiovestibular handicap was assessed using the Hearing Handicap Inventory, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Dizziness Handicap Inventory. Patients completed questionnaires at presentation and at least one year following treatment with microsurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery or observation. Changes in audiovestibular handicap and factors affecting audiovestibular handicap were assessed.

All handicap scores increased at follow up, but not significantly. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores predicted tinnitus and dizziness respectively. The Hearing Handicap Inventory was not predictive of hearing loss. Age predicted Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score and microsurgery was associated with a deterioration in Dizziness Handicap Inventory score.

Audiovestibular handicap is common in patients with vestibular schwannoma, with 75 per cent having some degree of handicap in at least one inventory. The overall burden of handicap was, however, low. The increased audiovestibular handicap over time was not statistically significant, irrespective of treatment modality.

Psychiatry training programs vary in the degree to which they offer trainees with an opportunity to get involved in research. Exposure to research during the training period is critical, as this is usually when trainees start their own scientific research projects and gain their first experiences in academic publishing.

We present the European Journal of Psychiatric Trainees (EJPT) (ejpt.scholasticahq.com), the official journal of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT), including its scope, mission and vision and practical considerations.

Reflecting on the foundation and operation of the European Journal of Psychiatric Trainees.

The European Journal of Psychiatric Trainees is an Open Access, double blind peer-reviewed journal which aims to publish original and innovative research as well as clinical, theory, perspective and policy articles, and reviews in the field of psychiatric training, psychiatry and mental health. Its mission is to encourage research on psychiatric training and inspire scientific engagement by psychiatric trainees. Work conducted by psychiatric trainees and studies of training in psychiatry are prioritized. The journal is open to submissions, and while articles from psychiatric trainees are prioritized, submissions within scope from others are also encouraged. The article processing fee is very low and waivable. It is planned to publish two issues yearly.

The first article was published in July 2022, titled “Fluoxetine misuse by snorting in a teenager: a case report” and it received 218 views as of 17 October 2022, which confirms the journal’s potential for visibility.

The European Journal of Psychiatric Trainees is a non-profit initiative designed to offer psychiatric trainees a platform to publish and gain experience in publishing. Thanks to its robust double blind peer reviewing system, it has the potential to contribute to scientific excellence.

None Declared

Optimizing the effectiveness of a team-based approach to unite multiple disciplines in advancing specific translational areas of research is foundational to improving clinical practice. The current study was undertaken to examine investigators’ experiences of participation in transdisciplinary team science initiatives, with a focus on challenges and recommendations for improving effectiveness.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with investigators from twelve multidisciplinary teams awarded pilot research funding by the University of Kentucky College of Medicine to better understand the barriers and facilitators to effective team science within an academic medical center. An experienced qualitative researcher facilitated one-on-one interviews, which lasted about one hour. Structured consensus coding and thematic analysis were conducted.

The sample was balanced by gender, career stage (five were assistant professor at the time of the award, seven were senior faculty), and training (six were PhDs; six were MD physicians). Key themes at the team-level centered on the tension between clinical commitments and research pursuits and the limitations for effective team functioning. Access to tangible support from home departments and key university centers was identified as a critical organizational facilitator of successful project completion. Organizational barriers centered on operationalizing protected time for physicians, gaps in effective mentoring, and limitations in operational support.

Prioritizing tailored mentoring and career development support for early career faculty, and particularly physician faculty, emerged as a key recommendation for improving team science in academic medical centers. The findings contribute to establishing best practices and policies for team science in academic medical centers.

Childhood adversities (CAs) predict heightened risks of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode (MDE) among people exposed to adult traumatic events. Identifying which CAs put individuals at greatest risk for these adverse posttraumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae (APNS) is important for targeting prevention interventions.

Data came from n = 999 patients ages 18–75 presenting to 29 U.S. emergency departments after a motor vehicle collision (MVC) and followed for 3 months, the amount of time traditionally used to define chronic PTSD, in the Advancing Understanding of Recovery After Trauma (AURORA) study. Six CA types were self-reported at baseline: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect and bullying. Both dichotomous measures of ever experiencing each CA type and numeric measures of exposure frequency were included in the analysis. Risk ratios (RRs) of these CA measures as well as complex interactions among these measures were examined as predictors of APNS 3 months post-MVC. APNS was defined as meeting self-reported criteria for either PTSD based on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 and/or MDE based on the PROMIS Depression Short-Form 8b. We controlled for pre-MVC lifetime histories of PTSD and MDE. We also examined mediating effects through peritraumatic symptoms assessed in the emergency department and PTSD and MDE assessed in 2-week and 8-week follow-up surveys. Analyses were carried out with robust Poisson regression models.

Most participants (90.9%) reported at least rarely having experienced some CA. Ever experiencing each CA other than emotional neglect was univariably associated with 3-month APNS (RRs = 1.31–1.60). Each CA frequency was also univariably associated with 3-month APNS (RRs = 1.65–2.45). In multivariable models, joint associations of CAs with 3-month APNS were additive, with frequency of emotional abuse (RR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.43–2.87) and bullying (RR = 1.44; 95% CI = 0.99–2.10) being the strongest predictors. Control variable analyses found that these associations were largely explained by pre-MVC histories of PTSD and MDE.

Although individuals who experience frequent emotional abuse and bullying in childhood have a heightened risk of experiencing APNS after an adult MVC, these associations are largely mediated by prior histories of PTSD and MDE.

To improve dissemination and accessibility of guidelines to healthcare providers at our institution, guidance for infectious syndromes was incorporated into an electronic application (e-app). The objective of this study was to compare empiric antimicrobial prescribing before and after implementation of the e-app.

This study was a before-and-after trial.

A tertiary-care, public hospital in Halifax, Canada.

This study included pediatric patients admitted to hospital who were empirically prescribed an antibiotic for an infectious syndrome listed in the e-app.

Data were collected from medical records. Prescribing was independently assessed considering patient-specific characteristics using a standardized checklist by 2 members of the research team. Assessments of antimicrobial prescribing were compared, and discrepancies were resolved through discussion. Empiric antimicrobial prescribing before and after implementation of the e-app was compared using interrupted time-series analysis.

In total, 237 patients were included in the preimplementation arm and 243 patients were included in the postimplementation arm. Pneumonia (23.8%), appendicitis (19.2%), and sepsis (15.2%) were the most common indications for antimicrobial use. Empiric antimicrobial use was considered optimal in 195 (81.9%) of 238 patients before implementation compared to 226 (93.0%) 243 patients after implementation. An immediate 15.5% improvement (P = .019) in optimal antimicrobial prescribing was observed following the implementation of the e-app.

Empiric antimicrobial prescribing for pediatric patients with infectious syndromes improved after implementation of an e-app for dissemination of clinical practice guidelines. The use of e-apps may also be an effective strategy to improve antimicrobial use in other patient populations.