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Evaluation of knowledge and attitudes among primary care physicians in C avan– M onaghan as ‘gatekeepers‐in‐waiting’ for the introduction of C arepath for O vercoming P sychosis E arly ( COPE )
Author(s) -
Nkire Nnamdi,
Sardinha Savio,
Nwosu Bosah,
McDonough Catherine M.,
De Coteau Pamela A.,
Duffy Illona,
Waddington John L.,
Russell Vincent
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
early intervention in psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.087
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1751-7893
pISSN - 1751-7885
DOI - 10.1111/eip.12069
Subject(s) - workload , intervention (counseling) , context (archaeology) , enthusiasm , medicine , service (business) , primary care , mental health , psychology , family medicine , nursing , psychiatry , social psychology , paleontology , economy , computer science , economics , biology , operating system
Aim To investigate general practitioners' current knowledge of and attitudes towards psychosis and its management by C avan– M onaghan M ental H ealth S ervice, I reland, prior to their involvement in the introduction of an early intervention service. Methods As part of a continuing medical education programme for psychosis, delivered to all 32 general practitioners practising in this region, participants were asked to complete a 29‐item questionnaire designed to assess their baseline knowledge and attitudes. Results All 32 general practitioners participated in the study. Although 17% had received no previous psychiatric training, 93% described their knowledge of psychiatric disorders as average or above average. However, only 53% could correctly identify all of a set of psychiatric symptoms related to psychosis. Only 50% felt comfortable initiating treatment for psychotic symptoms. Whereas only 40% had heard of the early intervention model, 89% believed it to be advantageous. Easy accessibility to services and rapid assessment of patients referred were most commonly reported as helpful. However, concerns were expressed about the potential for associated increases in workload. Conclusions As ‘gatekeepers‐in‐waiting’, these general practitioners will have a vital role in effective implementation of the early intervention service for psychosis. However, their knowledge needs improvement, through regular educational sessions, and this service must be responsive to their needs. In addition, general practitioners' concerns regarding the potential for increased workload must be adequately addressed in order to maintain enthusiasm and collaboration at the interface between primary care and mental health services, particularly in the context of early intervention.