Primary Care Practitioner Training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (PTCAP): A Cluster-Randomized Trial

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Mental Health
• Primary Care Practice
• Psychiatry Training

Background:

• Rural primary care practitioners (PCPs) are crucial for pediatric mental health care due to limited referral options.
• PCPs report insufficient training and confidence in providing pediatric mental health services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Practitioner Training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (PTCAP) program.
• To enhance PCPs' confidence in addressing pediatric mental health concerns.

Main Methods:

• Pilot, cluster-randomized, multicenter trial with 7 intervention and 6 control practices.
• Intervention group received 8 hours of training on guidelines and skills for common child/adolescent disorders.
• Outcomes measured confidence, attitudes, and knowledge at 1-week follow-up using a linear random-effects model.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed significantly greater confidence in managing diagnosable conditions (d=1.81) and general concerns (d=1.73).
• Confidence in making referrals (d=1.27) and obtaining consults (d=0.74) also significantly improved.
• No significant changes were observed in attitudes or knowledge; however, confidence may have increased by mitigating negative attitudes.

Conclusions:

• The PTCAP program effectively enhances PCPs' confidence in pediatric mental health care.
• An 8-hour training session was insufficient to alter attitudes or knowledge significantly.
• Further research with more intensive training and outcome assessments is warranted.