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Catatonia Education: Needs Assessment and Brief Online Intervention

Academic Psychiatry volume 41, pages 360–363 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

There are no studies investigating physicians’ knowledge of catatonia. The authors aimed to assess and increase physicians’ awareness of catatonia.

Methods

A survey with clinical questions about catatonia was administered, followed by a brief online teaching module about catatonia and a post-education survey.

Results

Twenty-one psychiatry residents (response rate, 70%) and 36 internal medicine residents (response rate, 34%) participated in the pre-education survey. Psychiatry residents identified 75% of the correct answers about catatonia, compared to 32% correct by internal medicine residents (p < 0.001). Twenty participants (response rate, 35%) completed the online education module and second survey, which resulted in a significant improvement in correct response rates from 60 to 83% in all the participants (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Residents’ baseline knowledge of catatonia is low, particularly among internal medicine residents. A brief online module improved resident physicians’ knowledge of catatonia. Educational strategies to improve recognition of catatonia should be implemented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Joseph J. Cooper & Joan Roig Llesuy

Authors
  1. Joseph J. Cooper
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  2. Joan Roig Llesuy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph J. Cooper.

Ethics declarations

This study was reviewed and granted exempt status by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Chicago.

Disclosures

On behalf of all the authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Cooper, J.J., Roig Llesuy, J. Catatonia Education: Needs Assessment and Brief Online Intervention. Acad Psychiatry 41, 360–363 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-016-0632-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-016-0632-x

Keywords

  • Catatonia
  • Education
  • Neuropsychiatry