Evaluating a case-based mental health course for pediatricians in the UAE: a prospective study

Pediatricians frequently encounter child and adolescent mental health concerns, yet often report limited training and confidence in managing these presentations. In contexts where access to specialist services is constrained, capacity-building initiatives for generalist clinicians are increasingly important. This pilot study evaluated an 8-week case-based child and adolescent mental health course for pediatricians in the United Arab Emirates using a prospective mixed-methods design.

All pediatricians at a public secondary-care hospital were invited to participate. Quantitative survey data were collected at baseline, immediately post-course, and at 3-6-month follow-up, assessing attitudes, self-rated knowledge and confidence, and clinical practices related to pediatric mental health. Qualitative data were obtained through post-course and follow-up focus groups. Evaluation was guided by the Kirkpatrick-Barr framework.

Ten pediatricians enrolled; eight completed baseline and follow-up surveys, and nine completed post-course surveys. Satisfaction with the course was high, with all participants rating the content as highly relevant. Group-level analyses demonstrated large improvements in confidence across key competencies (Cohen's d range: 0.75-2.40), particularly conducting structured mental health screening, discussing mental health concerns with families, and managing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. At follow-up, most participants reported adopting routine screening practices, with 6/8 (75%) reporting routine mental health screening and 5/8 (62.5%) reporting use of standardized tools. Qualitative findings supported increased confidence, practical application of skills, and early integration into clinical workflows, while highlighting ongoing barriers related to time constraints and access to specialist support.

A brief, case-based training program for pediatricians was feasible, highly acceptable, and associated with substantial improvements in self-reported confidence and early practice change sustained at follow-up. These findings support the potential value of structured, practice-oriented training to strengthen frontline pediatric mental health care within collaborative-care models, while underscoring the need for larger controlled studies incorporating objective clinical outcomes.