Abstract
Introduction: A principal strategy for the integration of mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings is the training of front-line workers in international consensus-based guidelines. Aim This paper presents a pilot study evaluating changes in knowledge and understanding as a result of a brief training course in Nepal. Method Evaluation questionnaires were distributed to participants in two-day courses (n = 109) before, directly after, and at two months following completion. Results: The course resulted in a post-training increase in correct answers of 21%, which further increased to 25% at two months. Conclusion A short training course based on widely endorsed guidelines to front-line staff can significantly increase mental health literacy for complex emergencies. While promising, the trend of knowledge gain is modest at most, and suggests a need for more intensive or more targeted training courses.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 235-238 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Prehospital and disaster medicine |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Nepal
- disaster
- emergency
- evaluation
- mental health
- preparedness
- psychosocial
- training
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Emergency Medicine
- Emergency