La catatonie correspond à un syndrome fréquent, pouvant menacer le pronostic vital, du fait de ses complications ou en cas de catatonie maligne, mais des traitements efficaces existent (benzodiazépines, électro-convulsivo-thérapie). Ce syndrome est pourtant sous-diagnostiqué et mal connu. Nous nous sommes intéressés à la formation et aux connaissances actuelles des jeunes médecins français sur la catatonie.

Un questionnaire a été soumis aux internes en psychiatrie et jeunes psychiatres français, évaluant leurs connaissances sur la catatonie, leur niveau d’assurance face à un patient catatonique et le nombre de patients qu’ils avaient rencontrés. L’enseignement reçu et ses modalités le cas échéant étaient aussi évalués.

Parmi les 376 répondants, 37,5 % n’avaient jamais reçu d’enseignement spécifique. Cet enseignement est majoritairement délivré dans le cadre de la maquette du DES de psychiatrie et organisé de façon hétérogène sur le territoire français. Les connaissances des participants apparaissent incomplètes. Elles sont significativement meilleures concernant les symptômes catatoniques et les traitements de première intention en cas d’enseignement. Le niveau d’assurance rapporté ainsi que le nombre de patients rencontrés sont également significativement supérieurs dans le groupe « avec enseignement ».

Bénéficier d’un enseignement spécifique sur la catatonie améliore les connaissances des jeunes médecins et leur aptitude à diagnostiquer et traiter les patients catatoniques. Cet enseignement est aujourd’hui dispensé de façon insuffisante et hétérogène en France. La catatonie mériterait une place de choix dans le programme du DES de psychiatrie.

Catatonia is a transnosographic syndrome described by K. Kahlbaum in 1874. Catatonia can be life-threatening due to its complications and in case of malignant catatonia. Safe and effective treatments have been identified (benzodiazepines and electro-convulsive-therapy). The prevalence of this syndrome is important and represents about 10% of inpatients in an acute psychiatric ward. However, this syndrome appears to remain under-diagnosed and poorly known. We were, therefore, interested in the current knowledge of French psychiatry residents and young psychiatrists as well as the education they had received about catatonia.

A questionnaire was submitted to French psychiatry residents and young psychiatrists with fewer than 5 years of experience. It included questions about knowledge of the symptoms, complications, causes and treatments of catatonia. Participants were also asked about their confidence in the management of a patient with catatonia and about the number of catatonic patients they had already met. The type of lecture and teaching about catatonia was also assessed.

Among the 376 psychiatrists that completed the questionnaire, 37.5% never had received any specific teaching about catatonia. Concerning the 62.5% who benefited from a specific lecture, this was mainly delivered as part of psychiatry DES. Heterogeneity in the education delivery on the French territory had been highlighted. In addition, participants’ knowledge of catatonic syndrome seems incomplete. However, knowledge of catatonic symptoms and first intention treatments was significantly better among respondents who were part of the “with education” group. The confidence in catatonia recognition and management, as well as the number of catatonic patients they met, are also significantly higher in the group “with education”.

Specific education seems to improve the knowledge of young doctors and their ability to diagnose and treat catatonic patients. This education remains poorly provided and heterogeneous on the French territory. Catatonia deserves a place in the teaching program of the psychiatry DES, thus to become systematic.