The CARE project – study protocol and pilot results from the Polish population

IntroductionNegative symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ) are a critical unmet need of SZ treatment. In the past years, clinical tools were developed and guidance papers for the evaluation and management of negative symptoms of SZ were published. The CARE (Competence and confidence Assessment of early car...

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Main Authors: Anna Julia Krupa, Silvana Galderisi, Armida Mucci, Tomasz Gondek, Aiste Lengvenyte, Dominika Dudek, Marcin Siwek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1643722/full
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author Anna Julia Krupa
Silvana Galderisi
Armida Mucci
Tomasz Gondek
Aiste Lengvenyte
Aiste Lengvenyte
Dominika Dudek
Marcin Siwek
author_facet Anna Julia Krupa
Silvana Galderisi
Armida Mucci
Tomasz Gondek
Aiste Lengvenyte
Aiste Lengvenyte
Dominika Dudek
Marcin Siwek
author_sort Anna Julia Krupa
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionNegative symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ) are a critical unmet need of SZ treatment. In the past years, clinical tools were developed and guidance papers for the evaluation and management of negative symptoms of SZ were published. The CARE (Competence and confidence Assessment of early career psychiatrists’ (ECPs) ability to evaluate and manage negative symptoms of SZ) project was designed to examine the competence and confidence of ECPs in assessing and treating negative symptoms of SZ.ObjectiveTo publish the protocol of the CARE project and a pilot analysis of the data obtained from the Polish sample.MethodsThe CARE project is an international cross-sectional 23-item online survey on competence and confidence in assessing and treating negative symptoms of the ECPs from European countries. This work includes the protocol of the CARE project and a pilot analysis of 140 responses from the Polish ECPs population.ResultsThe majority of the participants were trainees (67.2%), not engaged in clinical research (69.3%), reported placement in clinics/wards specialized in SZ care (77.1%) and inclusion of theoretical courses (54.3%) in their specialist training curriculum, and participation in extra-curricular training (62.9%) on the negative symptoms. Few ECPs (6.4%) correctly identified the negative symptoms domains, although the majority of them (55%) reported feeling well-trained to administer and interpret at least one tool for the assessment of the negative symptoms. Respectively, 32.8% and 25.9% reported feeling competent in evaluating and managing the negative symptoms. Specialist status and longer experience were linked to higher likelihood of feeling competent in assessment and management of the negative symptoms. The large majority of ECPs (87.1%) agreed that there should be more emphasis on the negative symptoms of SZ in specialist training. Engagement in clinical research was linked to higher likelihood of correctly identifying the domains of negative symptoms.ConclusionThe results from the Polish ECPs population indicate a very limited knowledge and preparedness to evaluate and manage negative symptoms of SZ. The CARE study will explore the European ECPs’ gap in knowledge and skills in the evaluation and management of the negative symptoms of SZ to inform future educational actions.
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spelling doaj-art-622674c23c364dfd8e00c37ca7fd16612025-08-20T03:51:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-07-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.16437221643722The CARE project – study protocol and pilot results from the Polish populationAnna Julia Krupa0Silvana Galderisi1Armida Mucci2Tomasz Gondek3Aiste Lengvenyte4Aiste Lengvenyte5Dominika Dudek6Marcin Siwek7Department of Affective Disorders, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, PolandUniversity of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, ItalyUniversity of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, ItalyInstitute of Social Studies, University of Lower Silesia, Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, FranceInstitute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, FranceDepartment of Adult Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, PolandDepartment of Affective Disorders, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, PolandIntroductionNegative symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ) are a critical unmet need of SZ treatment. In the past years, clinical tools were developed and guidance papers for the evaluation and management of negative symptoms of SZ were published. The CARE (Competence and confidence Assessment of early career psychiatrists’ (ECPs) ability to evaluate and manage negative symptoms of SZ) project was designed to examine the competence and confidence of ECPs in assessing and treating negative symptoms of SZ.ObjectiveTo publish the protocol of the CARE project and a pilot analysis of the data obtained from the Polish sample.MethodsThe CARE project is an international cross-sectional 23-item online survey on competence and confidence in assessing and treating negative symptoms of the ECPs from European countries. This work includes the protocol of the CARE project and a pilot analysis of 140 responses from the Polish ECPs population.ResultsThe majority of the participants were trainees (67.2%), not engaged in clinical research (69.3%), reported placement in clinics/wards specialized in SZ care (77.1%) and inclusion of theoretical courses (54.3%) in their specialist training curriculum, and participation in extra-curricular training (62.9%) on the negative symptoms. Few ECPs (6.4%) correctly identified the negative symptoms domains, although the majority of them (55%) reported feeling well-trained to administer and interpret at least one tool for the assessment of the negative symptoms. Respectively, 32.8% and 25.9% reported feeling competent in evaluating and managing the negative symptoms. Specialist status and longer experience were linked to higher likelihood of feeling competent in assessment and management of the negative symptoms. The large majority of ECPs (87.1%) agreed that there should be more emphasis on the negative symptoms of SZ in specialist training. Engagement in clinical research was linked to higher likelihood of correctly identifying the domains of negative symptoms.ConclusionThe results from the Polish ECPs population indicate a very limited knowledge and preparedness to evaluate and manage negative symptoms of SZ. The CARE study will explore the European ECPs’ gap in knowledge and skills in the evaluation and management of the negative symptoms of SZ to inform future educational actions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1643722/fullschizophrenianegative symptomsknowledgeclinical competenceearly career psychiatristspsychiatric trainees
spellingShingle Anna Julia Krupa
Silvana Galderisi
Armida Mucci
Tomasz Gondek
Aiste Lengvenyte
Aiste Lengvenyte
Dominika Dudek
Marcin Siwek
The CARE project – study protocol and pilot results from the Polish population
Frontiers in Psychiatry
schizophrenia
negative symptoms
knowledge
clinical competence
early career psychiatrists
psychiatric trainees
title The CARE project – study protocol and pilot results from the Polish population
title_full The CARE project – study protocol and pilot results from the Polish population
title_fullStr The CARE project – study protocol and pilot results from the Polish population
title_full_unstemmed The CARE project – study protocol and pilot results from the Polish population
title_short The CARE project – study protocol and pilot results from the Polish population
title_sort care project study protocol and pilot results from the polish population
topic schizophrenia
negative symptoms
knowledge
clinical competence
early career psychiatrists
psychiatric trainees
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1643722/full
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