An evaluation of a collaborative course for child and adolescent mental health professionals

• Published in: Journal of interprofessional care 2017-09, Vol.31 (5), p.664-666
• Main Authors: Blanco-Vieira, Thiago, Silva Ribeiro, Wagner, Lauridsen-Ribeiro, Edith, Graça Fatori de Sá, Daniel, Palma, Sonia Maria Motta, Vieira Ribeiro, Marcos Vinícius, Cavalcante Caetano, Sheila, Ramos, Fernando Augusto da Cunha, Conceição do Rosário, Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Health Services - organization & administration; Adolescents; Adult; Age Factors; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitudes; Brazil; Child; Child & adolescent mental health; Child Health Services - organization & administration; Children; Educational programs; Female; Health care; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Personnel - education; Humans; Interdisciplinary aspects; Interprofessional Relations; Intervention; Knowledge; Lectures; Low income groups; Male; Medical personnel; Mental health; Mental health professionals; Mental health services; Mental Health Services - organization & administration; Patients; Quasi-experimental methods; Research design; Specialization; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1356-1820; 1469-9567
• DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2017.1322561

There is a considerable gap between the offer and the demand for mental health treatment of children and adolescents, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Permanent education in these countries is a promising and needed strategy to reduce this gap. This study was designed to evaluate the perceived impact of an educational intervention for child and adolescent mental health professionals in Brazil, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Specialization Course (CESMIA). The intervention consisted of a 360-hour interprofessional postgraduation course. The CESMIA offered lectures and small-group case discussions for exchanging their experiences in dealing with the patients. The students were placed in these groups according to their professions in order to ensure a proportional distribution of healthcare professionals in each group. The evaluation employed a quasi-experimental design by the use of a knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) survey. The 39 participants reported significant improvement in all KAP dimensions. More specifically, the data indicated a 17% improvement for attitudes, a 9.4% increase for knowledge, and a 14% improvement for the practice dimensions. The CESMIA appeared to improve the level of knowledge of participants and their attitudes and actions towards patients, which reinforces the relevance of similar courses.