Education and training on addiction psychiatry in low and middle income countries: Observations from existing literature and recommendations going ahead

Abstract

Background: Addictive disorders are a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. The burden of addictive disorders in LMIC is expected to grow further over the coming years. Aims:In this article we present the observations from the existing literature on the current status of education and training on addiction psychiatry in LMIC and provide recommendation on way forward for this specialized field of psychiatry. Materials and Methods: We searched electronic databases of PubMed to access the literature on the current status of education and training on addiction psychiatry. Additional searches were also conducted in other database of Google Scholar for potential 'grey' literature. Results: We were able to identify a total of 11 relevant articles. Discussion: Currently there is limited published literature on education and training on addiction psychiatry from the LMICs. Conclusions: Strengthening of the training on addictive disorders shall not only help bridge the gap of the unmet need for the evidence-based interventions of addictive disorders across these countries it shall also help enhance the research capacity on addictive disorders in these countries.

Building a postgraduate psychiatry training program in Liberia through cross-country collaborations: initiation stages, challenges, and opportunities

“…There are only two countries in Africa with formal postgraduate training in child and adolescent psychiatry, which presents great potential for future collaborations and expansion of existing postgraduate psychiatry training programs ( 15 , 42 ). Furthermore, the burden of substance use in Africa is enormous and projected to increase by 130% by 2050 ( 43 , 44 ). Subspecialty training is essential for service provision and research, and it helps bolster evidence-based treatment ( 45 , 46 ).…”

The worrying, current state of addictions training in medicine

“…The situation is even worse in low- and middle-income countries, which are simultaneously seeing the most rapid growth in the prevalence of drug use and the availability of addiction specialists will be even less. The solution can, therefore, not rely on doctors alone ( 4 , 16 ). Similar gaps are seen in general internal medicine residents in the USA, where the majority report being unprepared to treat substance use disorders ( 17 ).…”

Education and training in psychiatry in low‐ and middle‐income countries during and after the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…This issue includes also the views of early career psychiatrists on difficulties and advantages of being trained in psychiatry in LMICs (El Halabi et al, 2021; Mihai et al, 2021; Giurgiuca et al, 2021; Sahadevan et al, 2021). A specific paper deals with education on addiction psychiatry, a neglected topic in the scientific literature, but which is particularly relevant for psychiatric practice in LMICs (Balhara et al, 2021). The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on training and education in psychiatry (Fiorillo & Gorwood, 2020; Gorwood & Fiorillo, 2021; Kuzman et al, 2020; Wasserman et al, 2020), which has been particularly significant in LMICs (Banerjee et al, 2020; De Sousa et al, 2020; Javed et al, 2021), has been further analyzed by Kalayasiri and Wainipitapong (2021).…”