A project on 'Psychiatry in Era Covid' , made by the team of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hospital Beatriz Ângelo (HBA), was in 3rd place in the competition launched by the Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health (SPPSM), having, for this, received one of the research grants available in this competition. Among nearly two dozen candidacies, the 3rd place awarded to the HBA Psychiatry project was announced at the closing of the National Congress of Psychiatry 2021, organized by the SPPSM, after an analysis by an independent national jury, not linked to mental health services of the NHS, which only had access to the anonymous applications. The HBA team built its project based on the work it developed during the pandemic, which underwent the immediate reorganization of the Department, namely the Psychiatry service and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry service (Pedopsychiatry), starting early to respond to observed and anticipated needs. As described in the project that was in the top 3 of the best, «structural responses were defined and the multidisciplinary effort, the union between professionals and the dedication of each employee enhanced the combination of ideas and the human and technical-scientific value of the dynamic projects. The DPSM's response, in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, was characterized by the adoption of preventive and interventional strategies, aimed at patients with and without COVID-19, families and health professionals, at the hospital and community level» . Among these responses, we highlight video consultations and the organization of the teams' mirror work, to ensure day hospitals and ensure professionals are always present. Psychiatry and liaison child psychiatry were prepared to respond to inpatients, with and without COVID-19. For example, “during this period of pandemic, the Child Psychiatry team wrote and sent letters by post to the children of the Day Hospital. Writing allowed them to narrate, question, praise, give thanks. It was possible to make a retrospective of the time spent in the service, highlighting some more decisive moments in the clinical process, both for the young person and for the family. Taking time to think about each of the children and write to them, about the group, about the experiences, about what could be a greater difficulty for them, to bridge the gap with the skills of children and adolescents, and families, it was the way of telling them to stay present. The meeting was planned, and, in this way, they knew that they kept their place in the service, in the group and in the other» . Specially oriented towards the Hospital's health professionals, the Psychological Support Line was implemented, and groups were created to promote the mental health and well-being of employees, who organized physical and psychological exercise schemes with a view to «reducing the stress that was experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, improve and foster team spirit and provide learning of relaxation techniques, to reduce anxiety levels» . In the text of the application presented to the SPPSM, the HBA team concludes that «the definition and implementation of response strategies to the challenges posed by the pandemic highlighted the excellent multidisciplinary and teamwork between the different services. Adapting to the pandemic required the acquisition of new knowledge and contributed to increasing the experience of those involved, leading to a spirit of unity and mutual help that, for a long time, was not felt so much» . Congratulations to the HBA and especially to its entire Department of Psychiatry.
