Mental illness training for licensed staff in long-term care

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychiatry
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Licensed care staff in long-term care facilities often lack adequate preparation for managing residents with mental illness.
• This gap in training can impact the quality of care and resident well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an internet-delivered training program, "Caring Skills: Working with Mental Illness."
• To assess the program's impact on staff knowledge, skills, empathy, and stigmatization towards residents with mental illness.

Main Methods:

• A randomized treatment-control design was employed to test the internet-based training program.
• Participants were assessed at 4-week and 8-week follow-ups using video-based situational testing and psycho-social construct measures.

Main Results:

• Analysis revealed significant positive effects of the training on staff skills and knowledge at 4 weeks post-intervention.
• These improvements were largely maintained at the 8-week follow-up, indicating lasting benefits.
• The training program was positively received by the participating care staff.

Conclusions:

• The "Caring Skills: Working with Mental Illness" online training is an effective intervention for enhancing staff competency in long-term care settings.
• The program demonstrates potential for improving care quality for residents with mental illness through evidence-based skill development.