A preliminary survey of undergraduate education on depression in medical schools in the Asia Pacific region.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the undergraduate medical curricula pertaining to depression across the Asia Pacific region.


METHODS
Questions were sent to the members of the SEBoD International Advisory Board asking for details on the specifics of medical curricula regarding depression.


RESULTS
Representatives of 13 medical universities from eight Asia Pacific countries provided information. All curricula include psychiatry lectures, and most countries also conduct seminars and tutorials. Provision of clinical experience is common, but not all curricula include specific presentation of cases of depression. Within the psychiatry courses reviewed, only a small component of teaching is related specifically to depression.


CONCLUSIONS
As there is growing recognition of the burden of depression, development and implementation of national curricula standards are recommended to address inadequacies in teaching of depression in undergraduate medical universities throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Lee
Min-Soo
MS
University Hospital, Korea University, South Korea.
D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003479:Curriculum; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*