This editorial considers the value and nature of academic psychiatry by asking what defines the specialty and psychiatrists as academics. We frame academic psychiatry as a way of thinking that benefits clinical services and discuss how to inspire the next generation of academics.

Undergraduate psychiatric education is essential for the training of medical students and for their recruitment into psychiatry. A significant shortage of graduates choosing a career in psychiatry has been recently documented, and this trend might have many causes. When medical students have positive experiences of teaching, elective placements and exposure to psychiatric patients, their attitudes towards psychiatry are significantly better. Therefore, there is a need to improve the quality of undergraduate training courses in psychiatry. Innovative teaching strategies are suggested, including the use of movies, virtual reality, simulated patients and multiprofessional training wards.

COVID-19 has impacted psychiatric education at many levels from postgraduate training to Continuous Medical Education (CME). We invited participants at the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) who are national representatives to share how COVID-19 has impacted postgraduate training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in their countries. They were asked to report the challenges but also the opportunities created by the pandemic and their answers were analysed. Several themes emerged. Challenges in postgraduate training have been absences caused by COVID, redeployment, reduced interactions and postponement of assessments. The mental health of trainees was affected, including burnout. Interestingly in some places, like Denmark, training was less impacted as psychiatry was designated as ‘critical’ and therefore no redeployment. Exams have moved online and there have been concerns about cheating in the new format. In countries where it is obligatory to be uptodate with CME/CPD to maintain medical registration, the usual requirements were waived. Conferences and live events have moved online and webinars became popular and widely accepted. Some positive developments included rapid adoption of technology, for consultations and training, increased relevance of CPD/CME, emphasis on team cohesion and recognition of the need for self-care and team support. The pandemic also fostered international collaboration, e.g. sharing guidelines for new ways of working. Some of the innovations described, mainly related to the adoption of technology and remote working will likely be taken in the future. However, the sentiment remains that live exchanges are valuable and should be resumed as soon as it is safe.

People with common mental disorders often seek medical attention from their family doctors. Thus, it is essential for family doctors to possess primary mental health knowledge. The aim of this study was to understand whether psychiatrists endorse the primary mental health competencies identified by the World Organization of Family Doctors and whether they agree that family doctors are demonstrating these competencies. A questionnaire was constructed based on 32 core competencies. Presidents of all World Psychiatric Association member societies were invited to complete the questionnaire or to forward it to local experts. According to the respondents, these competencies are considered relevant yet not sufficiently possessed by typical primary care doctors. Proposals are made to bridge this assumed competency gap.