TY - JOUR
KW - Adolescent
KW - Attitude of Health Personnel
KW - Child
KW - Connecticut
KW - Disasters
KW - Education, Medical, Continuing/methods/organization & administration/standards
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Mass Screening/statistics & numerical data
KW - Mental Disorders/diagnosis/therapy
KW - New Jersey
KW - New York
KW - Pediatrics/education/methods/standards
KW - Physician's Practice Patterns/standards/trends
KW - Primary Health Care/methods/standards
KW - Program Evaluation
KW - September 11 Terrorist Attacks/psychology
KW - Terrorism/psychology
AU - R. E. Adams
AU - D. Laraque
AU - C. M. Chemtob
AU - P. S. Jensen
AU - J. A. Boscarino
A1 - 
AB - Although many children and adolescents need assessment and treatment for psychological problems, few get such treatment from mental health specialists after a community disaster Research suggests that a very large proportion of children are seen in pediatric primary care settings and that pediatricians can provide appropriate care for many social and emotional problems in children. However few pediatricians have received training in providing this help. The focus of this study was to assess whether brief training to increase the capacity of primary care pediatricians (PCPs) to respond to the social or emotional problems of children after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks improved the quality of services to disaster-affected children. Pediatricians (N = 137) attended a one-day training workshop covering best practice treatments for mental health problems with an emphasis on trauma, bereavement, and medication use. We surveyed attendees prior to training, immediately post-intervention, and 1- and 6-months later. At 6-months post-intervention, 64% of the primary care clinicians reported instituting practice changes recommended during training. Reported use of formal mental health screening instruments increased, but greater use of medications was more limited. Although participants in the immediate post-intervention survey indicated strong agreement with the desirability to implement specific practice changes, the perceived desirability of such changes declined substantially at the 6-month follow-up. Changes in PCPs 'mental health related practice procedures can be facilitated by brief educational interventions, but continued training and support may be needed. We discuss these results relative to preparedness for community disasters.
BT - International journal of emergency mental health
C5 - Education & Workforce; Healthcare Disparities
CP - 1
CY - United States
IS - 1
JF - International journal of emergency mental health
N2 - Although many children and adolescents need assessment and treatment for psychological problems, few get such treatment from mental health specialists after a community disaster Research suggests that a very large proportion of children are seen in pediatric primary care settings and that pediatricians can provide appropriate care for many social and emotional problems in children. However few pediatricians have received training in providing this help. The focus of this study was to assess whether brief training to increase the capacity of primary care pediatricians (PCPs) to respond to the social or emotional problems of children after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks improved the quality of services to disaster-affected children. Pediatricians (N = 137) attended a one-day training workshop covering best practice treatments for mental health problems with an emphasis on trauma, bereavement, and medication use. We surveyed attendees prior to training, immediately post-intervention, and 1- and 6-months later. At 6-months post-intervention, 64% of the primary care clinicians reported instituting practice changes recommended during training. Reported use of formal mental health screening instruments increased, but greater use of medications was more limited. Although participants in the immediate post-intervention survey indicated strong agreement with the desirability to implement specific practice changes, the perceived desirability of such changes declined substantially at the 6-month follow-up. Changes in PCPs 'mental health related practice procedures can be facilitated by brief educational interventions, but continued training and support may be needed. We discuss these results relative to preparedness for community disasters.
PP - United States
PY - 2013
SN - 1522-4821; 1522-4821
SP - 3
EP - 14
EP - 
T1 - Does a one-day educational training session influence primary care pediatricians' mental health practice procedures in response to a community disaster? Results from the reaching children initiative (RCI)
T2 - International journal of emergency mental health
TI - Does a one-day educational training session influence primary care pediatricians' mental health practice procedures in response to a community disaster? Results from the reaching children initiative (RCI)
U1 - Education & Workforce; Healthcare Disparities
U2 - 24187883
VL - 15
VO - 1522-4821; 1522-4821
Y1 - 2013
ER -