Research Working Group
Last updated: 12 August 2024

The scope of the EFPT Research Working Group (RWG) is to support and encourage psychiatric trainees to develop skills in understanding and conducting scientific research. The RWG provides a network of psychiatric trainees from different European countries (and worldwide), creating opportunities for research and collaboration on international projects.

Therefore, the RWG invites psychiatric trainees to participate in international research projects supported by the EFPT. By doing so, the trainees will be able to take part in the different stages involved in conducting research projects: defining the research question, designing the research protocol and submission to the ethics committee, conducting the study, its statistical analysis and scientific writing.

The RWG may also collaborate with the other EFPT Working Groups in their research projects, advising on methodology and analysis of results. It also organises workshops, lectures, and webinars on methodological and collateral skills, some of which are done in collaboration with other WGs.

 

How to join the RWG

You do not have to be an EFPT delegate or an observer of your country. Everybody is invited to join the group and participate in its activities! If you are interested in learning more about the activities of the RWG and joining it, you can contact us at research-wg@efpt.eu. The RWG meets usually every two months to discuss ongoing projects, define new projects or events to be held and prepare the workshop at the EFPT Forum. This web page will also be kept posted with the most recent updates on the progress of our studies, projects, and activities. To facilitate the exchange of information among its members, the RWG has a Whatsapp group as well.

 

RWG Projects for 2024-2025 term

For next year, the RWG aims to continue the research projects currently underway, namely:

  • ”Psychiatric Drug Classifications and Neuroscience-based Nomenclature (NbN): Experiences, Views and Needs”, which aims to assess the perception of European psychiatry trainees and early career psychiatrists (ECPs) about the nomenclature of psychotropic drugs, with particular emphasis on NbN. Please take 5 minutes to fill out this form.
  • “Second Victim as a Psychiatrist: The Impact of Patient’s Suicide on Psychiatrists”, which is a fact-finding survey regarding the knowledge of European psychiatry trainees and early career psychiatrists (ECPs) about patient suicide. In particular, we aim to investigate both the general level of knowledge about patients’ suicide risk and the emotional impact that this event has had on residents and ECPs who have experienced it. Please take 10 minutes to fill out this form.

It is expected to initiate new research projects, supervised by the chair and at least one co-chair.  It is also one of the goals of the R-WG to promote the dissemination of EFPT reports, present the state of the art about different topics, and develop Guidebooks dedicated to providing research tools, namely how to search and interpret the scientific literature, ensure the best and adequate methodology and conduct statistical analysis. 

For 2024-2025, we aim to conduct a project on prescription patterns in bipolar disorder among European countries.

To facilitate contact and the dissemination of projects between EFPT, the NTAs and psychiatric trainees, the aim is also to invite young psychiatrists to collaborate as country contacts.

In case you want to collaborate with us, we would be happy if you first participate in our surveys and help us disseminate them, but you can also take an active part in the design of new research projects or writing scientific articles.

 

RWG Webinars

Besides these research projects, we are planning a webinar serious about methodology and epidemiology for research in Psychiatry.

 

RWG Chair and Co-Chairs

The organisation of the RWG’s activities is led by the Chair and Co-Chairs, who are responsible for promoting the projects.

Chair:

Giulio Longo (Italy)

“I started my training in psychiatry in November 2021 at the Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona. I’m also a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees (IJPT). The fields in which I conduct clinical research are early onset psychopathologies, digital psychiatry, psychoeducational intervention, ADHD in adults, Hikikomori and techno-mediated psychopathologies (i.e., Nomophobia, FoMO).”

 

Co-chairs:

Filipa Santos Martins (Portugal)

“I started my psychiatry training in January 2021 at the Local Health Unit S. João, Porto, Portugal. I am also a researcher at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) and a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees (IJPT). Currently, I am conducting my PhD project in mental health systems, and my main research interests include public mental health, social psychiatry, epidemiology and psychosis.”

 

Iliya Peyneshki (Switzerland)

“Currently, I am in my last year of psychiatric training and in my 3rd year of neurological training, completed at the University Hospitals of Bern and Zurich.  I am a fellow of the European Board of Neurology, as well as a general practitioner. I conducted my first doctoral thesis in Infectious Diseases during my medical studies in Munich, Germany.  I am currently advancing my expertise by working on my PhD thesis, focusing on multiomics in Alzheimer’s disease. My primary research interests lie in biological psychiatry, dementia, and neuroimaging. Throughout my still brief career as a physician-scientist, I have been honoured to receive numerous scholarships, awards, and funding, which have fueled my passion and drive to excel further in my field.

Beyond my academic pursuits, I am actively involved in the Young Clinical Neuroscientists (YouCliN) Network, established within the Swiss Federation of Clinical Neuro-Societies (SFCNS), as well as the national Swiss organisation of Young Psychiatrists. These platforms have provided me with incredible opportunities to collaborate with other passionate professionals.”

 

Marta Gostiljac (Serbia)

“I have been working as a medical doctor at the Clinic of Psychiatry, University Clinical Centre of Serbia since 2022. Currently, I hold the position of psychiatry resident at the Department of Bipolar Disorders. As a psychiatric trainee and early career researcher, I am deeply engaged in understanding the neurobiological and clinical complexities of affective disorders, especially bipolar spectrum disorders. My upcoming PhD research will focus on integrating dimensional approaches with personality and temperament characteristics to advance diagnostic frameworks and treatment modalities in bipolar spectrum disorders.”

 

Etienne K. Duranté (France)

“From 2020 to 2023, I have completed 3 years of training as a psychiatry resident in the Greater University Hospitals of Paris (France) and defended my MD thesis. Since November 2023, I paused my psychiatric training and joined the METHODS team (CRESS laboratory, also in Paris) to conduct a PhD. I strive to develop methods to assess and improve digital therapeutic interventions for people suffering from mood disorders, using tools from clinical epidemiology.”