Program evaluation of a child and youth mental health training program for family physicians in british columbia

This brief report presents findings from the program evaluation of a portion of an educational program developed to support family physicians in improving their mental health care competencies in children and youth in British Columbia.

The Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) learning module is part of a broader initiative from the Practice Support Program (PSP) of the British Columbia Medical Association and was created specifically to assist family physicians in improving their competencies in the identification, diagnosis and delivery of best evidence-based treatments for children and youth exhibiting the most common mental disorders that can be effectively treated in most primary care practices.

The initial results from the program evaluation demonstrate a substantial improvement in family physicians' knowledge of child and youth mental disorders and their self-rated clinical confidence in identifying and treating (both pharmacologically and psychotherapeutically) the most common child and youth mental disorders. Furthermore, because the training protocol involves a team-based approach which includes specialist physicians as well as school counsellors and human services providers, collaboration between primary practice and other providers is enhanced.

The initial results encourage broader roll-out and further evaluation of this program on a wider scale.