TEP Psiquiatria study guide
TEP Psiquiatria · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Título de Especialista em Psiquiatria (TEP Psiquiatria) is the Portuguese specialty title examination that physicians must pass to be recognised as specialists in psychiatry. It is intended for residents who have completed specialty training in Portugal and for candidates whose foreign qualifications are being assessed for equivalence, and it is set at the level of a doctor ready to practise independently. The TEP Psiquiatria study guide has 12 sections and about 2,396 words.
01Psychopathology and Clinical Interview / Diagnostic Formulation
A candidate must be able to define and distinguish symptoms precisely: delusion (fixed false belief, held with conviction, not shared by culture), overvalued idea, hallucination versus illusion versus pseudohallucination, thought insertion/withdrawal/broadcast, passivity phenomena, formal thought disorder (derailment, loosening, neologism, thought blocking), and catatonic signs. Know the difference between mood-congruent and mood-incongruent psychotic features, and between obsessions (ego-dystonic, resisted) and delusional beliefs.
244 words, about 1 min02Mood Disorders (Depressive and Bipolar Spectrum)
Know the core symptom clusters: mood, anhedonia, energy, sleep, appetite, psychomotor change, guilt/worthlessness, concentration, suicidal ideation. Duration thresholds matter: major depressive episode (2 weeks), persistent depressive disorder (2 years), premenstrual dysphoric disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder in children.
221 words, about 1 min03Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive and Trauma-Related Disorders
Distinguish panic disorder (recurrent unexpected attacks plus anticipatory anxiety), agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder (≥6 months of excessive worry), separation anxiety and selective mutism. Differentiate physiological anxiety from medical mimics (thyroid disease, arrhythmia, phaeochromocytoma, substance effects).
231 words, about 1 min04Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
Positive (delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech/behaviour), negative (avolition, blunted affect, alogia, anhedonia, asociality) and cognitive (attention, working memory, executive function). First-rank (Schneiderian) symptoms are historical but useful descriptively.
218 words, about 1 min05Substance Use Disorders and Addictive Behaviours
Tolerance, withdrawal, craving, loss of control, salience, continued use despite harm, and social/occupational consequences. Know intoxication and withdrawal syndromes: alcohol (tremor, seizures, delirium tremens), opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, cannabis, hallucinogens, and novel psychoactive substances.
202 words, about 1 min06Neurocognitive Disorders, Delirium and Organic Psychiatry
Acute onset, fluctuating course, inattention, altered consciousness, perceptual disturbance. Identify and treat the cause (infection, drugs, metabolic, hypoxia, pain, constipation, retention).
193 words, under 1 min07Psychopharmacology and Biological Treatments
SSRIs (first-line), SNRIs, mirtazapine, tricyclics, MAOIs. Know onset (2-4 weeks), serotonin syndrome, discontinuation syndrome, hyponatraemia, and interactions (MAOI plus SSRI; tramadol; triptans).
187 words, under 1 min08Psychotherapy and Psychosocial Interventions
Psychodynamic, CBT, DBT (emotion dysregulation, self-harm), psychodynamic and mentalisation-based therapy (personality disorder), family therapy, interpersonal therapy, motivational interviewing, supportive therapy, and group therapy. Know the evidence base for specific conditions: CBT for anxiety, OCD, depression and psychosis; DBT for borderline personality disorder; family intervention for schizophrenia.
204 words, about 1 min09Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Symptoms must be interpreted against developmental stage. Know attachment theory, developmental milestones, and the impact of adverse childhood experiences.
166 words, under 1 min10Forensic Psychiatry, Ethics and Mental Health Law
Know the principles of mental health legislation: detention criteria, treatment without consent, appeals and tribunals, and the role of the nearest relative or nominated person. Understand fitness to plead, criminal responsibility, and diminished responsibility concepts, and the interface with capacity law.
184 words, under 1 min11Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Emergency Psychiatry
Assess psychiatric symptoms in medical illness: delirium, depression in chronic disease, anxiety, somatoform presentations, self-harm, and capacity. Understand the biopsychosocial formulation in medically ill patients, drug interactions, and the effect of physical illness on mental state.
165 words, under 1 min12Research Methodology, Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice
Randomised controlled trials, cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, ecological, and qualitative designs. Know strengths and weaknesses, selection bias, confounding, and the meaning of internal and external validity.
181 words, under 1 min