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Background: This study aims to verify the accuracy of item 10 on the energy level of the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) in an item screening according to Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) results, providing a measure of hyper-energy. Methods: Regression techniques were employed in a dataset comprising 4093 records of respondents to test both linear and nonlinear relationships between predictor and outcome variables (energy level and symptoms considered in the MDQ). We examined the relationship of energy level with cases identified using MDQ with a cut-off of 7. Results: Levels of energy, as rated on item 10 of the SF-12, were related to the MDQ score with sensitivity = 0.72 and specificity = 0.70. In linear regression, the associations were stronger with MDQ items on excessive energy or activity, showing a medium effect size and an explained variance of 10% or higher. A greater association was observed for items on excessive energy and activity, as expected, as well as for items concerning self-confidence, sociability, and talkativeness. Conclusions: This result may have implications for the research on risk factors and the pathogenesis of the dysregulation of mood, energy, and social rhythms syndrome (DYMERS), a syndrome that is hypothesized to occur in stressful conditions like those shown under the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic placed great strain on healthcare professionals, leading to a substantial impact and a redistribution of the workforce. Despite the active involvement of the Eastern Mediterranean Region Office (EMRO) and the World Health Organization in managing mental health crises, there is a knowledge gap concerning the working conditions and training opportunities available for early career psychiatrists (ECPs) during the pandemic period. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ECPs and how it affected their well-being, employment, and educational opportunities. Methods: A mixed methods study has been conducted in Iran, Egypt, and Tunisia, three EMRO member countries. It includes a cross-sectional survey with selfreported questions, and a qualitative study with individual in-depth interviews. Discussion: The findings of this study will raise awareness to the working conditions of ECPs within the EMRO region and its member societies, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The results will serve as a basis for encouraging supervisors and policymakers to mitigate the pandemic's impact on psychiatric training, strengthen healthcare systems' preparedness, and equip early career psychiatrists with the necessary skills to deal with the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of art in addressing the stigma surrounding mental health, as seen by early career psychiatrists and trainees from various countries. Stigma against mental illness is a worldwide problem, leading to fear, rejection, and discrimination. The use of art forms like cinema, theater, and music has proven effective in combating this stigma. The authors present perspectives from different countries, highlighting the prevalence of stigma and the efforts being made to address it through art. They also discuss the importance of cultural sensitivity and avoiding stigmatizing language. While the relationship between celebrating culture and reducing mental health stigma was not found to be significant, the authors emphasize the vital role of the arts in combating stigma and raising awareness. Overall, global efforts are being made to combat mental illness-related stigma, with the arts playing a crucial part in this endeavor. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the stigma associated with mental health in movies and urges the film industry to take action. It discusses how, despite its popularity and influence, cinema can unintentionally perpetuate stigmatizing portrayals of mental health issues through inaccurate and discriminatory representations, and it highlights factors that contribute to this problem, such as misinformation, stereotypes, fear of change, and sensationalism.

Recent advances in information technology (IT) provided us with novel teaching solutions, with the potential of a new enhanced learning experience, that is, more adapted to the needs and preferences of the younger generations of psychiatric trainees. These tools include the use of online/virtual whiteboards, live surveys/polls, live quizzes, virtual classrooms, and virtual reality. In the present paper, we describe the implementation of modern technology in psychiatric training in Tunisia, a North‐African middle‐income country. We discuss the potential benefits arising from this implementation, and we report the challenges and difficulties. Overall, the implementation of these modern technology‐based tools in psychiatric training has been successful, with a very few obstacles. It seems that the integration of these novel approaches is possible even in middle and low‐income countries without much hassle. These tools can enhance trainees' participation, motivation, and engagement, thereby potentially improving learning outcomes. Most disadvantages are related to potential technical glitches, and are likely to improve as technology progresses. Teaching is the art of tailoring the educational tools to the learning objectives and to the learners' characteristics and preferences. To achieve optimal learning outcomes, it is often needed to use a mixture of different "modern" and "less modern" techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early identification and prevention research has provided huge advances in our understanding of early screening and identification of young people at clinical high‐risk (CHR). Most of these procedures were developed in high‐income countries, yet middle‐income countries in North Africa such as Tunisia can benefit from these empirically‐based assessment approaches. Methods: Using established procedures, nine Tunisian psychiatric raters were trained on structured assessments: the CAARMS, BPRS, and SCID to high standards of interrater reliability. These raters developed a clinical high‐risk program (CHiRP) in Tunisia and recruited 10 patients who were exhibiting possible signs of CHR. These patients were evaluated to determine if they met criteria for a CHR group, such as Attenuated Psychosis. Results: Trained raters met the following interrater reliability criteria for the CAARMS and BPRS (ICC =.80 or greater) and the SCID (Kappa =.75 or greater). Of 10 pilot patients, six were classified as CHR and belonging to the Attenuated Psychosis Group. One of the six patients converted to psychosis 3 months after study entry for a conversion rate of 17% which is comparable with currently published rates globally. Discussion: The first CHR program has been established in Tunisia, a middle‐income country using methods developed in high income countries. Efforts aimed at assembling a group of prevention‐oriented psychiatrists, obtaining administrative support, and training raters to high levels of interrater reliability were successful. The feasibility was demonstrated for screening, assessing, treating, and following‐up of 10 CHR patients suggesting that conversion rates are comparable to those of Western and European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The global crisis of COVID-19 and its consequential strict public health measures placed around the world have impacted mental health. New scales and tools have been developed to measure these mental health effects. This narrative review assesses the psychometric properties of these scales and tools and methodological aspects of their development.Methods: PubMed, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar were searched for articles published from 15 May 2020 to 15 August 2020. This search used three groups of terms ("tool" OR "scale" AND "mental" OR "psychological"; AND "COVID-19" OR "coronavirus"). The identified scales were further evaluated for their psychometric properties and methodological aspects of their development.Results: Though the studies developing these scales (n = 12) have demonstrated their robust psychometric properties, some methodological concerns are noteworthy. Most of the scales were validated using internet-based surveys, and detailed descriptions of the mode of administration, sampling process, response rates, and augmentation strategies were missing.Conclusions: The heterogeneous and inadequate reporting of methods adopted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the identified scales can limit their utility in clinical and research settings. We suggest developing guidelines and checklists to improve the design and testing, and result in reporting of online-administered scales to assess the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Alcohol and Tobacco Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our findings concur with the suggestions made by other authors that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, tobacco and alcohol use patterns have been influenced by societal and cultural processes, as well as by local alcohol control policies ([40], [41]). (2020) 32: 85-9. 10.20882/adicciones.154632347962 4 Kim, JU, Majid, A, Judge, R, Crook, P, Nathwani, R, Selvapatt, N, Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on alcohol consumption in patients with pre-existing alcohol use disorder. COVID-19, pandemic, public health, alcohol, tobacco, alcohol policy, tobacco control. [Extracted from the article]

Research on how stigma had hindered the control of the above-mentioned infectious disease outbreaks might also shed some light on the potential impact of stigma in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Preventing the dissemination of stigma-related attitudes and behaviors may help decrease the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as stigma may lead to underreporting of symptoms and decrease the use of health facilities. [Extracted from the article]

aimi,7 Lynda Bensid,8 Mohamad Ali Cheaito,9 Alkhansa Mahdi Emberish,10 Amine Larnaout,11 Ahmed Radwan,12 Mohammad Slaih,13 Firas Kobeissy,14 Maya Bizri11Department of Psychiatry, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; 2Helwan Mental Health Hospital, Cairo, Egypt; 3The Sudan Medical Specialization Board, Khartoum, Sudan; 4Department of Psychiatry, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria; 5Department of Psychiatry, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 6Oman Medical Specialty Board, Psychiatry Program, Muscat, Sultanet of Oman; 7Psychiatric Department, Al Ain Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 8Department a, University of Algiers, Drid Hocine Hospital Specialized in Psychiatry, Algiers, Algeria; 9Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; 10Alrazi Hospital for Mental Health, Tripoli, Libya; 11Psychiatry Department D, Razi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia; 12Mental Health Service, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 13National Center for Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Amman, Jordan; 14Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonCorrespondence: Samer El HayekDepartment of Psychiatry, American University of Beirut, Bliss Street, PO Box: 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107 2020, LebanonTel +961 70941362Email samer.elhayek@gmail.com Purpose: Telepsychiatry, a subset of telemedicine, has been increasingly studied to meet the growing demands for psychiatric care. The utility of telepsychiatry is relevant now more than ever as the world endures the COVID-19 global pandemic. This paper describes the prior state and the changes that the COVID-19 outbreak brought to telepsychiatry in a selected group of Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Patients and Methods: We invited twelve early-career psychiatrists from different Arab nations to share information related to telepsychiatry in their respective countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The information was collected using a semi-structured guide. This was complemented by a search for relevant articles in five search engines using terms such as "COVID-19," "telepsychiatry," and "Arab world". Results: Before the pandemic, digital mental health services were provided in several Arab countries, mainly through hotlines and messaging services. The COVID-19 pandemic has marked a major shift in digital psychiatric services in the Arab MENA world, through the transformation of many clinics and some hospitals into digital mental health systems. Many non-governmental organizations also started remote initiatives for psychological support and psychiatric counseling. Three main barriers of patient-related, healthcare-related, and system-related hurdles of using telepsychiatry emanated from the analysis. Conclusion: The use of digital mental health services varies between different Arab countries. Even though some nations have laws that regulate the provision of such services, most struggle with multifactorial barriers. As affordable and attainable solutions cannot only rely on training and recruiting more psychiatrists, telepsychiatry would help meet the exceeding demands in the Arab world, particularly after the COVID-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rapid spread of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has forced most countries to take drastic public health measures, including the closure of most mental health outpatient services and some inpatient units. This has suddenly created the need to adapt and expand telepsychiatry care across the world. However, not all health care services might be ready to cope with this public health demand. The present study was set to create a practical and clinically useful protocol for telemental health care to be applied in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A panel of psychiatrists from 15 different countries [covering all World Health Organization (WHO) regions] was convened. The panel used a combination of reactive Delphi technique and consensus development conference strategies to develop a protocol for the provision of telemental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The proposed protocol describes a semi-structured initial assessment and a series of potential interventions matching mild, moderate, or high-intensity needs of target populations. Conclusions: Telemedicine has become a pivotal tool in the task of ensuring the continuous provision of mental health care for the population, and the outlined protocol can assist with this task. The strength of this protocol lies in its practicality, clinical usefulness, and wide transferability, resulting from the diversity of the consensus group that developed it. Developed by psychiatrists from around the globe, the proposed protocol may prove helpful for many clinical and cultural contexts, assisting mental health care providers worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'électroconvulsivothérapie (ECT) est la plus ancienne technique encore utilisée en psychiatrie. Néanmoins, ses effets indésirables cognitifs sont fréquents, notamment les plaintes mnésiques. L'objectif principal de cette revue est de décrire la nature des troubles mnésiques liés à L'ECT, l'évolution à court et à long terme et les facteurs de risques associés puis de proposer des recommandations d'évaluation et de suivi appropriées. Une revue systématique de la littérature a été réalisée au mois d'avril 2022, suivant la méthodologie PRISMA. Les équations de recherche ont été entrées dans PubMed et Cochrane en utilisant les termes suivants : « cognition » et « electroconvulsivetherapy » ou « amnesia » et « electroconvulsive therapy » ou « adverse effects » et « electroconvulsivetherapy ». La recherche a été réalisée de l'année 2000 à 2022. Notre revue a permis d'inclure vingt articles dont quatre sur la nature et l'évolution des troubles mnésiques, trois sur les mécanismes, six sur les facteurs de risque, trois sur l'évaluation et les tests cognitifs et quatre sur la prise en charge. Les données ont montré une atteinte de la mémoire antérograde et rétrograde. Dans les jours qui suivent la séance, les capacités de se souvenir des événements survenus après l'ECT ainsi que des connaissances générales et autobiographiques sont altérées. Mais la plupart des fonctions cognitives s'améliorent au bout de quatre semaines. Certains patients néanmoins peuvent présenter des déficits de la mémoire autobiographique trois à six mois après l'ECT. La durée de la période confusionnelle est un facteur prédictif de la persistance des troubles de la mémoire. Les plaintes subjectives ne sont pas corrélées aux troubles mnésiques objectifs mais plutôt à la sévérité de la dépression. Ils durent plus longtemps que les troubles objectifs. L'atteinte est d'autant plus marquée que les événements sont proches de l'ECT. Nous avons trouvé, à la lumière des études incluses, l'absence d'origine lésionnelle, une altération du fonctionnement de l'hippocampe et un ralentissement cérébral. En effet, la présence d'ondes thêta à l'EEG dans les régions frontotemporales était associée à la durée de la confusion post-ictale et à une amnésie rétrograde. Il existe plusieurs facteurs associés à l'apparition des troubles mnésiques. Ces facteurs sont la nature et la charge du courant, le placement des électrodes, la fréquence des séances, le produit anesthésique, ainsi que des facteurs individuels tels que l'âge et le sexe. L'utilisation d'un courant ultrabref avec placement des électrodes en unilatéral droit réduit considérablement les effets cognitifs indésirables et préserve également l'efficacité. Différents tests cognitifs ont été utilisés en fonction du domaine cognitif à évaluer. Le test Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) était le test le plus utilisé pour une évaluation globale. Certaines études ont mis en place une batterie cognitive avec des délais d'évaluation allant d'un à six mois. Différentes molécules ont été essayées au cours de l'ECT, notamment les anticholinesthérasiques et le piracetam sans trouver de résultats concluants. Toutefois, les résultats des essais par la kétamine et la mémantine étaient encourageants. L'électroconvulsivothérapie a montré son efficacité dans le traitement de plusieurs troubles psychiatriques. Il est primordial de faire un suivi cognitif en pré- et post-ECT pour détecter d'éventuels troubles mnésiques et assurer une meilleure prise en charge. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the oldest technique still in use in psychiatry. Nevertheless, its adverse cognitive side effects are frequent, particularly complaints about memory. The main objective of this review is to describe the nature of ECT-related memory disorders, their short- and long-term evolution and associated risk factors, and to propose recommendations for appropriate evaluation and follow-up. À systematic review of the literature was conducted in April 2022, using the PRISMA methodology. The English search equations gleaned from the literature published were entered into PubMed and Cochrane using the search queries: 'cognition' and 'electroconvulsive therapy' or 'amnesia' and 'electroconvulsive therapy' or 'adverse effects' and electroconvulsive therapy'. The search was carried out on literature published between 2000 to 2022. Our review included 20 articles, including 4 articles on types of memory disorders, 3 articles on mechanisms, 6 articles on risk factors, 3 articles on cognitive testing and 4 articles on treatment. The data indicated impairment of both anterograde and retrograde memory. In the days following the session of ECT, the ability to recall events that occurred post-treatment, as well as general and autobiographical knowledge, was impaired. However, most cognitive functions improve within 4 weeks. Nevertheless, some patients, may show autobiographical memory deficits for from 3 to 6 months after ECT. The duration of the confusion is a predictive factor for the persistence of memory disorders. Subjective complaints are not correlated with objective memory disorders, but rather with the severity of depression. They last longer than objective disorders. The greater the proximity of the events to the ECT, the greater the impairment. In light of the studies included, we found altered hippocampal function and cerebral slowing. Indeed, the presence of EEG theta waves in frontotemporal regions was associated with the duration of post-ictal confusion and retrograde amnesia. There are several factors associated with the onset of memory disorders. These include the nature and charge of the electrical current, electrode placement, frequency of sessions, anaesthetic product administered, as well as individual factors such as age and gender. The use of ultra-short current with right unilateral electrode placement considerably reduces undesirable cognitive effects and preserves efficacy. Different cognitive tests were used, depending on the cognitive domain to be assessed. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was the most widely used test for global assessment. Some studies used a cognitive array of tests with evaluation ranging from 1 to 6 months after treatment. Various molecules have been tried during ECT, notably anticholinesterase drugs and piracetam, with no conclusive results. However, the results of trials with ketamine and memantine were encouraging. Electroconvulsive therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of several psychiatric disorders. It is essential, however, to carry out cognitive testing before and after ECT to detect possible memory disorders and to ensure better management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is difficult to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health as many community surveys have limited quality, rely on screening tests to measure mental health conditions and distress, and often use convenience samples. Moreover, robust surveys come mainly from high-income countries., Aim: To measure the prevalence of depressive disorders with onset during the pandemic in a community of a Lower-Middle-income country (LMIC)-Tunisia., Methods: Clinical semi-structured face-to-face interviews were carried out during the pandemic (September-December 2021) by medical doctors among a representative sample of the general population in the governorate of La Manouba, Tunisia. Psychiatric diagnoses were established according to DSM-IV., Results: The prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) started or recurred after the pandemic was 5.66%. The factors associated with MDD were loss of job and considerably diminished income due to the pandemic (OR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.5, 2.9]) and the perception of having the family's financial situation below the Tunisian average (OR = 2.3, 95% CI [1.7, 3.2]). Female sex, marital status as separated/divorced, and having a COVID-19 infection were associated with MDD only in the overall sample and urban areas, but not in rural areas. Age and having loved ones who passed away due to COVID-19 were not associated with MDD., Conclusion: In Tunisia, the pandemic seems to have increased the risk of depression in people experiencing a precarious financial situation, also due to the pre-existing economic crisis. Specific local level factors, such as not establishing a rigid lockdown for an extended period, may have protected young people and allowed for better mourning in families suffering the loss of a loved one.

Background: Stigma related to mental illness (and its treatment) is prevalent worldwide. This stigma could be at the structural or organizational level, societal level (interpersonal stigma), and the individual level (internalized stigma). Vulnerable populations, for example, gender minorities, children, adolescents, and geriatric populations, are more prone to stigma. The magnitude of stigma and its negative influence is determined by socio-cultural factors and macro (mental health policies, programs) or micro-level factors (societal views, health sectors, or individuals' attitudes towards mentally ill persons). Mental health stigma is associated with more serious psychological problems among the victims, reduced access to mental health care, poor adherence to treatment, and unfavorable outcomes. Although various nationwide and well-established anti-stigma interventions/campaigns exist in high-income countries (HICs) with favorable outcomes, a comprehensive synthesis of literature from the Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), more so from the Asian continent is lacking. The lack of such literature impedes growth in stigma-related research, including developing anti-stigma interventions., Aim: To synthesize the available mental health stigma literature from Asia and LMICs and compare them on the mental health stigma, anti-stigma interventions, and the effectiveness of such interventions from HICs., Materials and Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar databases were screened using the following search terms: stigma, prejudice, discrimination, stereotype, perceived stigma, associate stigma (for Stigma), mental health, mental illness, mental disorder psychiatric* (for mental health), and low-and-middle-income countries, LMICs, High-income countries, and Asia, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation/SAARC (for countries of interest). Bibliographic and grey literature were also performed to obtain the relevant records., Results: The anti-stigma interventions in Asia nations and LMICs are generalized (vs. disorder specific), population-based (vs. specific groups, such as patients, caregivers, and health professionals), mostly educative (vs. contact-based or attitude and behavioral-based programs), and lacking in long-term effectiveness data. Government, international/national bodies, professional organizations, and mental health professionals can play a crucial in addressing mental health stigma., Conclusion: There is a need for a multi-modal intervention and multi-sectoral coordination to mitigate the mental health stigma. Greater research (nationwide surveys, cultural determinants of stigma, culture-specific anti-stigma interventions) in this area is required., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

Aims: The present survey aims to assess the overall mood disorder prevalence and identify associated socio-demographic and clinical factors in a Tunisian community sample, with special attention to the COVID-19 pandemic., Background: Mood disorders are one of the leading causes of all non-fatal burdens of disease, with depression being at the top of the list. The COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the prevalence of mood disorders, especially in Low and Middle-income countries (LMICs) and in vulnerable populations., Objective: 1/ Assess point and lifetime prevalence of depressive and bipolar disorders as well as subthreshold bipolarity in a representative population sample of La Manouba governorate and assess treatment patterns for these disorders; 2/Study socio-demographic and clinical correlates of mood disorders 3/ Assess the association between mood disorders and quality of life 4/ Study the impact of the COVID-pandemic on the prevalence of mood disorders 5/ Assess coping mechanisms to the COVID-pandemic and whether these mechanisms moderate the appearance of mood disorders or symptoms since the beginning of the pandemic., Methods: This is a household cross-sectional observational survey to be conducted in La Manouba Governorate in a sample of 4540 randomly selected individuals aged ≥ 15 years. Data collection will be carried out by trained interviewers with clinical experience, through face-to-face interviews and the use of the computer assisted personal interviewing approach (CAPI). The following assessment tools are administered., Results: Structured clinical Interview for DSM IV-TR (Mood disorder section and Screening questions on Anxiety), Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ), 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12), the Brief-COPE, and a questionnaire about a headache. In addition, socio-demographic and clinical data will be collected., Conclusion: This will be one of the very few household surveys in a general population sample to assess mental health problems and COVID-19-related variables since the beginning of the pandemic. Through this research, we aim to obtain an epidemiological profile of mood disorders in Tunisia and an estimation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their prevalence. Results should contribute to improving mental health care in Tunisia., Competing Interests: Mauro Giovanni Carta is the EIC of the journal Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health. Maria Francesca is the Editorial Advisory Board member of the journal Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health., (© 2022 Ouali et al.)

Background: With the uncertainties of COVID-19, people infected with coronavirus present with diverse psychiatric presentations. Some institutions have had to manage their patients with existing protocols, others have had to create them. In this article we aimed to report the challenges and good practices in the management of psychiatric conditions and delirium coexisting with COVID-19 across continents., Methods: Early Career Psychiatrists (ECPs) from across five continents were approached to share their experiences on the management of psychiatric conditions in patients with COVID-19 during the current pandemic., Results: We collected information about the experiences from sixteen countries. Commonalities were similar psychiatric presentations and poor preparedness across countries. Differences were varying adjustments made in the management of psychiatric conditions coexisting with COVID-19 and different innovations. Good practices which can be adopted by other countries are novel approaches such as telepsychiatry, proactive consultation-liaison units and enhanced community services targeted at circumventing challenges faced when providing mental health services., Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for global preparedness in the mental health sector during outbreaks of infectious diseases, and the need for concerted efforts targeted at global and locally sensitive adaptation of existing protocols and the development of new guidelines for the management of psychiatric conditions for the present pandemic and subsequent occurrences., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

The collaborative effort of an international research team from the Early Career Psychiatrists section of the World Psychiatry Association has brought about an easy-to-use, quick and stepwise mental health care toolkit for the identification and appropriate referral of those in need of mental health care during the pandemic. This simple guide can be applied in the general outpatient setting and is catered for all healthcare professionals, regardless of their expertise within the mental health field with minimal training. It is our hope that by incorporating this toolkit into our daily clinical care during the pandemic for high-risk patients and patients with non-specific complaints, we will be able to bridge the mental health gap present in our society., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)