Evaluation of a brief training on mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies: a pre and post assessment in Nepal

Jordans, M.J.D., Luitel, N.P., Poudyal, B., Tol, W.A. & Komproe, I.H.

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine

Published on: 13 June 2012

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 5 109) 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.

http://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X12000738