FMGE Psychiatry Syllabus

Psychiatry syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Psychiatry in FMGE, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Introduction to Psychiatry

   2 topics

   • History of psychiatry
     • Evolution of psychiatric concepts and treatments
   • Mental health and illness
     • Definition
     • Stigma
     • Determinants of mental health
2. 2

   Psychological Assessment

   3 topics

   • Mental status examination
     • Appearance
     • Behavior
     • Speech
     • Mood
     • Affect
     • Thought content
     • Thought process
     • Cognition
     • Insight
   • Psychiatric history taking
     • Presenting complaints
     • Personal history
     • Family history
     • Medical history
     • Substance use history
     • Psychiatric treatment history
   • Psychometric assessment
     • Screening tools (PHQ-9, GAD-7, AUDIT, CAGE)
     • Standardized rating scales (HAM-D, MADRS, PANSS)
3. 3

   Psychiatric Disorders

   6 topics

   • Mood disorders
     • Major depressive disorder
     • Bipolar disorder
     • Dysthymia
     • Cyclothymia
     • Mood disorder due to a medical condition or substance
   • Anxiety disorders
     • Generalized anxiety disorder
     • Panic disorder
     • Social anxiety disorder
     • Specific phobias
     • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
   • Psychotic disorders
     • Schizophrenia
     • Schizophreniform disorder
     • Schizoaffective disorder
     • Delusional disorder
     • Brief psychotic disorder
   • Substance-related disorders
     • Alcohol use disorder
     • Opioid use disorder
     • Stimulant use disorder
     • Cannabis use disorder
     • Tobacco use disorder
   • Neurodevelopmental disorders
     • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
     • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
     • Intellectual disability
     • Specific learning disorders
   • Personality disorders
     • Borderline personality disorder
     • Antisocial personality disorder
     • Narcissistic personality disorder
     • Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
4. 4

   Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders

   2 topics

   • Somatoform disorders
     • Somatization disorder
     • Conversion disorder
     • Hypochondriasis
     • Somatic symptom disorder
   • Dissociative disorders
     • Dissociative amnesia
     • Dissociative fugue
     • Depersonalization/derealization disorder
     • Dissociative identity disorder
5. 5

   Eating Disorders

   3 topics

   • Anorexia nervosa
     • Clinical features
     • Medical complications
     • Nutritional rehabilitation
     • Psychotherapy
   • Bulimia nervosa
     • Clinical features
     • Medical complications
     • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
     • Pharmacotherapy
   • Binge-eating disorder
     • Clinical features
     • Medical complications
     • Psychotherapy
     • Pharmacotherapy
6. 6

   Sleep Disorders

   3 topics

   • Insomnia disorder
     • Difficulty falling asleep
     • Difficulty staying asleep
     • Non-restorative sleep
     • Sleep hygiene
     • Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia
   • Sleep-related breathing disorders
     • Obstructive sleep apnea
     • Central sleep apnea
     • Continuous positive airway pressure
     • Weight loss
   • Parasomnias
     • Nightmare disorder
     • Sleep terror disorder
     • Sleepwalking disorder
     • REM sleep behavior disorder
7. 7

   Sexual Disorders

   3 topics

   • Sexual dysfunctions
     • Erectile dysfunction
     • Premature ejaculation
     • Female sexual interest/arousal disorder
     • Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder
   • Paraphilic disorders
     • Exhibitionism
     • Voyeurism
     • Fetishism
     • Pedophilia
     • Sexual masochism/sadism
   • Gender dysphoria
     • Incongruence between assigned gender and experienced gender
     • Clinical features
     • Psychosocial support
     • Hormone therapy
     • Gender-affirming surgery
8. 8

   Geriatric Psychiatry

   3 topics

   • Dementia
     • Alzheimer's disease
     • Vascular dementia
     • Lewy body dementia
     • Frontotemporal dementia
     • Management (cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine)
   • Delirium
     • Clinical features
     • Etiology (infection, medication, metabolic disturbances)
     • Management (identifying and treating underlying causes)
   • Late-life depression
     • Clinical features
     • Risk factors
     • Management (antidepressant medications, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy)
9. 9

   Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

   4 topics

   • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
     • Clinical features
     • Diagnosis (DSM-5 criteria)
     • Management (stimulant medications, behavioral therapy)
   • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
     • Core features
     • Diagnosis (DSM-5 criteria)
     • Management (behavioral interventions, social skills training)
   • Conduct disorder
     • Clinical features
     • Diagnostic criteria (DSM-5)
     • Management (parent management training, cognitive-behavioral therapy)
   • Pediatric anxiety disorders
     • Separation anxiety disorder
     • Generalized anxiety disorder
     • Social anxiety disorder
     • Management (cognitive-behavioral therapy, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
10. 10

    Legal and Ethical Issues in Psychiatry

    3 topics

    • Mental health legislation
      • Involuntary hospitalization
      • Capacity to consent
      • Confidentiality
    • Ethical principles in psychiatry
      • Autonomy
      • Beneficence
      • Nonmaleficence
      • Justice
    • Forensic psychiatry
      • Assessment of competency
      • Criminal responsibility
      • Civil commitment

Psychiatry flashcards for FMGE

21 of 54 cards from the Psychiatry deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Who is regarded as the 'father of modern psychiatry' for unchaining the mentally ill at the Bicêtre and Salpêtrière hospitals?

   Philippe Pinel, who pioneered the humane 'moral treatment' of patients in late 18th-century France.

2. Which two major classification systems are used in psychiatry, and who publishes each?

   DSM-5-TR, published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and ICD-11, published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

3. How does the WHO define mental health?

   A state of well-being in which an individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to contribute to their community.

4. What are the main components (headings) of the Mental Status Examination (MSE)?

   Appearance and behaviour, Speech, Mood and affect, Thought (form and content), Perception, Cognition, Insight, and Judgement.

5. In the MSE, what is the difference between 'mood' and 'affect'?

   Mood is the patient's sustained, subjectively reported emotional state; affect is the examiner's objective observation of the patient's emotional expression (range, reactivity, congruence).

6. What are the key sections of a standard psychiatric history?

   Identifying data, chief complaint, history of present illness, past psychiatric history, past medical history, drug/substance history, family history, personal (developmental) history, premorbid personality, and forensic history.

7. What is the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and what is the cut-off suggestive of cognitive impairment?

   A 30-point bedside cognitive screening tool; a score below 24 (out of 30) is generally suggestive of cognitive impairment/dementia.

8. Name one widely used projective psychometric test and one objective personality inventory.

   Projective: Rorschach Inkblot Test (or TAT). Objective: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).

9. What are the DSM-5 duration criteria for a major depressive episode versus a manic episode?

   Major depressive episode: symptoms most of the day, nearly every day for at least 2 weeks. Manic episode: at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization required).

10. Using the mnemonic SIG E CAPS, list the symptoms screened for in major depression.

    Sleep changes, loss of Interest, Guilt/worthlessness, low Energy, poor Concentration, Appetite changes, Psychomotor changes, Suicidality (plus depressed mood).

11. What distinguishes Bipolar I from Bipolar II disorder?

    Bipolar I requires at least one full manic episode; Bipolar II requires at least one hypomanic episode plus at least one major depressive episode, with no full mania.

12. What is the minimum duration of symptoms required to diagnose persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) in adults?

    Depressed mood for most of the day, more days than not, for at least 2 years (1 year in children/adolescents).

13. What is the diagnostic duration requirement for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?

    Excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, difficult to control, with associated symptoms (restlessness, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance).

14. What is a panic attack, and what defines panic disorder?

    A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear peaking within minutes with somatic/cognitive symptoms. Panic disorder is recurrent unexpected panic attacks plus at least 1 month of worry about further attacks or maladaptive behaviour change.

15. What is agoraphobia?

    Marked fear or anxiety about two or more situations (public transport, open spaces, enclosed spaces, crowds, being outside the home alone) where escape might be difficult, leading to avoidance, for at least 6 months.

16. What are the two core symptom domains of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?

    Obsessions (recurrent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts/images causing anxiety) and compulsions (repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed to reduce that anxiety).

17. What are the four symptom clusters of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

    Intrusion (re-experiencing/flashbacks), avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity, persisting more than 1 month after trauma.

18. What are Schneider's first-rank symptoms of schizophrenia?

    Audible thoughts (thought echo), voices arguing/discussing, running commentary, thought withdrawal/insertion/broadcasting, made feelings/impulses/acts (passivity), somatic passivity, and delusional perception.

19. What is the minimum duration of symptoms required to diagnose schizophrenia in DSM-5?

    Continuous signs of disturbance for at least 6 months, including at least 1 month of active-phase symptoms (with at least one being delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech).

20. How do positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia differ?

    Positive symptoms are added experiences: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech/behaviour. Negative symptoms are deficits: affective flattening, alogia, avolition, anhedonia, and asociality.

21. How is brief psychotic disorder distinguished from schizophreniform disorder and schizophrenia by duration?

    Brief psychotic disorder: 1 day to less than 1 month. Schizophreniform: 1 to 6 months. Schizophrenia: 6 months or more.

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