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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0435

Is psychiatry ready for the screen? Insights from Tunisian residents

IS PSYCHIATRY READY FOR THE SCREEN? INSIGHTS FROM TUNISIAN RESIDENTS

Tunisian psychiatry residents consider telepsychiatry useful, but technical infrastructure problems, the difficulty of remote clinical assessment, and a lack of training stand out as major barriers.

The study aimed to assess attitudes toward and the acceptability of telepsychiatry among Tunisian psychiatry residents. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, an anonymous online survey of psychiatry residents explored sociodemographic characteristics, prior experience, attitudes toward remote consultations, perceived barriers, and training needs; the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Among participants, 82.1% (32/39) were women, 82.1% (32/39) worked in northern Tunisia, and 92.3% (36/39) had no prior experience with telepsychiatry. In the attitudes section, 76.9% (30/39) opposed conducting the initial contact remotely, considering an in-person first consultation necessary; 82.1% (32/39) considered technical and infrastructure barriers significant; 69.2% (27/39) reported that clinical assessment was more difficult remotely, and 59.0% (23/39) indicated that the therapeutic alliance was weaker in a remote setting. Conversely, 74.4% (29/39) viewed telepsychiatry as a solution to bridge the gap in areas with limited access to services, and 79.5% (31/39) considered it necessary to include telepsychiatry training in the curriculum. The authors interpret these findings as consistent with the literature identifying technical barriers and training needs as key implementation challenges, while highlighting evidence that remote diagnostic assessment and the therapeutic relationship are comparable to those in in-person care. In conclusion, telepsychiatry is considered useful, but substantial barriers are anticipated, and structured training is essential for its safe and effective implementation in Tunisia.

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