20 years on: The legacy of Daksha Emson for perinatal psychiatry

The tragedy of Daksha’s death illustrates both the importance of perinatal mental health and the stigma associated with doctors seeking help. With this letter, we express our hope that the lasting legacy of her and others’ tragic stories lies in the continuing improvement and worldwide expansion of perinatal psychiatric services and training so that those in greatest need receive the best care possible wherever — and whoever — they are

Psychiatric training in perinatal mental health across Europe

Perinatal mental illness is associated with considerable maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. However, there are currently no specific guidelines on the standards and structure of postgraduate perinatal psychiatric training in Europe. We describe the characteristics of available and desired specialist perinatal psychiatry training from the perspective of European psychiatrists in training. An online survey was conducted among 34 national psychiatric trainee association representatives of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT). Participants from the countries in which perinatal psychiatry training was available were invited to participate in in-depth follow-up interviews. Six countries out of 34 (18%) reported that specialist training in perinatal mental health was available (Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Malta, and the UK). The nature of available training varied in duration, the supervision and assessment model employed, and the training scheme context. Of the 28 countries where specialist perinatal psychiatry training was unavailable, the majority of national representatives (22 countries, 76%) wanted specialist perinatal psychiatry training to be included in their national training curricula. There is a gap between the expected skills and the available training for psychiatrists to meet the mental healthcare needs of women in the perinatal period. Given the prevalence and impact of perinatal mental illness and the expressed desires of trainees themselves for specialist training, this finding should prompt urgent action. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00737-022-01216-w

Severe mental illness and European COVID-19 vaccination strategies

The EU advises prioritising vaccination for people whose health makes them particularly at risk for severe COVID-19, but leaves it to member states to decide which medical conditions get prioritised. Ethical, neuroscientific, and public health considerations have been used to prioritise individuals with severe mental illness (ie, psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, and severe major depressive disorders).1, 2, 3 We systematically reviewed national COVID-19 vaccine deployment plans across 20 European countri