Increasing Substance Use Disorder Treatment Professionals Knowledge: The Child Intervention for Living Drug-free...

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Substance Abuse Treatment
• Medical Education

Background:

• Childhood psychoactive substance use is a growing global concern.
• The Child Intervention for Living Drug-Free (CHILD) Curriculum trains providers to screen, assess, and treat children (ages 4-12) for substance use.
• Effective interventions are crucial for this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the CHILD Curriculum in enhancing provider knowledge.
• To assess knowledge gains after completing a six-session training program.
• To determine if the curriculum meets its educational objectives.

Main Methods:

• 71 participants from Africa, Asia, and South America completed the training.
• Training involved 256 hours over 32 days in small-group sessions.
• Knowledge was assessed using six multiple-choice tests, one per course.

Main Results:

• Significant knowledge improvement (p<.001) was observed across all six courses.
• Knowledge gains were substantial (R² > .5) for five courses and moderate for one.
• Percentage increase in knowledge ranged from 17% to 63%.

Conclusions:

• The CHILD Curriculum serves as an effective educational framework for improving provider knowledge.
• The curriculum and its evaluation offer a model for training professionals on pre-adolescent substance use.
• This approach supports better care for children at risk of or experiencing substance use issues.