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Mental healthcare in paediatric epilepsy clinics: implementation by non-mental health professionals

Anna E Coughtrey1,2, Sophie Bennett3,4, Cameo Stanick5,6

  • 1UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK anna.coughtrey.10@ucl.ac.uk.

BMJ Paediatrics Open
|November 18, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Healthcare professionals in pediatric epilepsy clinics can deliver psychological interventions effectively. The study examined treatment integrity for the Mental Health Interventions for Children with Epilepsy (MICE) program, finding high adherence to protocols.

Area of Science:

  • Child Neurology
  • Pediatric Mental Health
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Children with epilepsy frequently experience co-occurring mental health disorders.
  • Barriers to accessing specialized mental healthcare are common for this population.
  • Training healthcare professionals within pediatric epilepsy services offers a potential solution for delivering psychological interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine treatment integrity of the 'Mental Health Interventions for Children with Epilepsy' (MICE) program.
  • To assess the feasibility of training non-mental health professionals in pediatric epilepsy services to deliver psychological interventions.
  • To evaluate adherence and competence in delivering a modular cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues in childhood epilepsy.

Main Methods:

  • The MICE treatment was implemented by 21 healthcare professionals with limited prior mental health experience.
  • A comprehensive training and supervision package supported the delivery of the intervention.
  • Data from 2269 sessions with 166 young people were analyzed for protocol adherence, with 251 sessions rated for therapist competence.

Main Results:

  • Healthcare professionals demonstrated high adherence to the MICE protocol.
  • Therapists administered the intervention with integrity, with adaptations primarily concerning the sequence of delivery, not content.
  • Competence ratings indicated effective delivery of the psychological interventions.

Conclusions:

  • Professionals in pediatric epilepsy clinics can be effectively trained to administer evidence-based mental health interventions.
  • The findings support the integration of mental health support within existing pediatric epilepsy services.
  • Further research is needed to link treatment integrity with clinical outcomes and optimize training and supervision methods.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child PsychiatryNeurologyPsychology

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