The specialist in Psychiatry must have gained theoretical, scientific and professional knowledge in the field of biological and clinical psychiatry and psychotherapy; must have obtained appropriate training relating to the doctor-patient relationship; must possess a correct knowledge of the psychological and psychopathological, etiopathogenetic, diagnostic, clinical and prognostic aspects of psychiatric diseases of youth, adulthood and old age, personality disorders and drug-toxic-addictions; must have knowledge of the social correlates of the same, of the principles of protection and promotion of mental health and the fight against stigma, of the ethical and legal aspects of the profession, and in particular of professional responsibility and psychiatric legislation; must have acquired in-depth knowledge of the relationship between internal or surgical pathologies and mental disorders, of the problems related to consultation and liaison psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine; he must have technical skills to treat the various clinical pictures, correctly use the various classes of psychotropic drugs, integrate the different psychiatric treatments, prepare projects for prevention, taking charge, treatment and rehabilitation; must have knowledge of the theoretical bases and techniques of the various forms of individual, family and group psychotherapy and acquire the professional tools for the exercise of specific structured forms of psychotherapy.

For the School of Specialisation in  PSYCHIATRY (divided into four years of the course), the educational objectives are as follows:

Basic learning objectives: knowledge of the anatomophysiology of the nervous structures involved in psychic processes; the biochemical, physiological, endocrinological and neuroradiological correlates of psychiatric syndromes; the concepts of genetics and genetic transmission in relation to mental illness and acquisition of the principles of genetic research in psychiatry; application of statistics to epidemiological and clinical research in psychiatry;

Objectives of general training: knowledge of the history of medicine and psychiatry;

Educational objectives of the school typology:

Skills in the field of general psychopathology and psychopathological aspects of the various forms of mental pathology; skills in the field of psychiatric methodology, with the use of categorical and dimensional psychiatric diagnostic and evaluation tools, adequate interpretation of differential diagnostic profiles and rational orientation to the indication and verification of therapies.

Clinical psychiatry skills with knowledge of the diagnostic, clinical and prognostic characteristics of psychiatric diseases of youth, adulthood and advanced age, personality disorders, drug-drug addictions, psychosomatic diseases and clinical management and management guidelines. Acquisition of the technical and methodological skills necessary to treat the various clinical pictures, including crisis situations and consultation and liaison psychiatry, with a correct use of the various classes of psychotropic drugs in an integrated way with the different psychiatric therapies, to prepare prevention, taking charge, treatment and rehabilitation projects, including relationships and collaboration with patients' families. Knowledge of the class to which it belongs, the mechanism of action, kinetics, indications, contraindications, undesirable effects, toxicity, withdrawal syndromes and clinical use of psychotropic drugs. Knowledge of the characteristics and areas of application of other biological therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation and sleep deprivation.

Skills in the area of psychotherapy with knowledge of the theoretical bases and techniques of individual, family and group psychotherapy, and acquisition of the tools necessary for the exercise of specific structured forms of psychotherapy.

Skills in social psychiatry with knowledge of the social correlates of mental pathology, of the different rehabilitation and resocializing methods, of the ethical and legal aspects concerning the relationship with the patient, professional responsibility, expert activity, voluntary and compulsory health checks and treatments.

Methodological skills for clinical and epidemiological research in psychiatry.

Integrated training objectives (i.e. common core):

The resident must have acquired satisfactory theoretical knowledge and professional competence in the recognition and treatment, even in emergency-urgency conditions, of the most common pathologies in the field of internal medicine and developmental age.

For all types of the class, given the specific cultural interconnection existing between the types, the ECTS of the common trunk of the related specialties must include:

• theoretical knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the central and peripheral nervous system;
• general theoretical knowledge of the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric pathologies in the various phases of the life cycle;
• theoretical knowledge and basic practical experience of methods for diagnosis, including differential diagnosis (clinical examination, diagnostic imaging, electrophysiological techniques, chemical-biological examinations and psychometric evaluations) of pathologies of neurological and psychiatric interest throughout the life cycle;
• theoretical knowledge and clinical-practical experience (including urgent/emergency situations) relating to the main pathologies of neurological and psychiatric interest in the various stages of the life cycle, including neurological and psychiatric complications of internal diseases;
• theoretical knowledge and basic clinical-practical experience relating to the main techniques for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of neurological and psychiatric diseases throughout the life cycle.

The following are compulsory professionalizing activities for the achievement of the educational purposes of the type:

• have taken charge of at least 30 patients for whom it has defined diagnosis and prognosis by following them in voluntary hospitalization and in Compulsory Health Treatment, in outpatient and territorial treatment, including home visits, gradually acquiring skills in psychopharmacological, psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation treatments.
• have followed at least 5 cases in psychotherapy with supervision in the entire four-year period;
• have followed at least 10 cases with psychiatric rehabilitation programs agreed with the multi-professional team in the various settings such as home, day hospital, day center, rehabilitation residences, also involving family members in the rehabilitation intervention;
• have participated in the conduct, according to the rules of good clinical practice, of at least 3 clinical researches to deepen the methodology of research in psychiatry with the acquisition of skills on the use of specific evaluation tools of the research in question with particular attention to the evaluation of outcomes. At the end of the four years, the student must be able to contribute to the drafting of scientific papers, to their publication, preferably in indexed journals;
• have carried out, under the supervision of the tutor, at least 20 consultation and liaison psychiatry interventions;
• have followed at least 5 cases with a diagnosis of eating disorder;
• have carried out at least 20 interventions, with tutorial supervision, in urgent/emergency conditions, progressively acquiring a high degree of autonomy;
• have used in at least 20 patients tools that allow them to formulate the categorical diagnosis and assess the psychopathological, cognitive, social functioning and care burden of their family members, and acquire skills in the field of electroencephalography, neuroimaging and psychophysiology;
• have followed at least 3 cases related to psychogeriatrics;
• must have acquired at least 5 practical experiences relating to the ethical and legal problems of psychiatric work and the performance of psychiatric reports.

The student will be able to compete for the diploma after completing the professionalizing activities.

As part of the training course, the student will have to learn the scientific bases of the type of School in order to achieve full maturity and professional competence that includes an adequate ability to interpret scientific innovations and critical knowledge that allows him to consciously manage both assistance and his own updating; In this context, participation in meetings, congresses and the production of scientific publications and periods of attendance in qualified Italian and foreign institutions useful for his/her training may be envisaged.