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Critical Review of Dual Diagnosis Training for Mental Health Professionals

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Abstract

To review evidence on the effects of training programs in dual diagnosis treatment for mental health professionals. Three databases were searched. Included studies were evaluated by an adapted version of Kirkpatrick’s Training Evaluation Model, which evaluates participant perception of training, the effect on professional competencies, transfer of training, and the effect on the patients. Overall findings from the eleven included studies suggested that participants valued the training, increased some professional competencies, and that some transfer of training occurred. The effect at the patient level showed mixed results. Training mental health professionals in dual diagnosis treatment may have a positive effect on professional competencies and clinical practice. Any conclusion regarding the overall training effect is premature due to limitations in study designs. Future studies on the effects of dual diagnosis training programs for mental health professionals should involve control groups, validated measures, follow-ups, and patient outcomes.

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Authors

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Correspondence to Pernille Pinderup.

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Funding

No grants or financial support were received for this review.

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No animal or human studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

Disclosures

Pernille Pinderup, Birgitte Thylstrup, and Morten Hesse declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Appendix A: Search string

Appendix A: Search string

Search string

 

“alcohol dependenc*” OR “drug dependenc*” OR “drug use disorder*” OR “alcohol use disorder*” OR substance* OR “substance use disorder*” OR “drug abus*” OR “alcohol abus*” OR addiction*

AND

psychiatr* OR mental OR psychos* OR psychot*

AND

attitude* OR perception* OR knowledge OR stigma OR satisfaction OR skill* OR view* OR confidence OR treatment outcome OR efficacy OR competence* OR abilit*

AND

(train* OR program* OR educat* OR workshop OR intervent* OR quiz) NEAR/4 (doctor* OR staff OR nurse* OR professional* OR manager* OR psychiatrist* OR physician* OR psychologist* OR clinician* OR therapist* OR worker* OR personnel OR practitioner* OR co-existing OR coexisting OR cooccurring OR co-occurring OR co-morbidity OR comorbidity OR concurrent OR “dual diagnosis” OR “dual disorder”)

AND

co-existing OR coexisting OR cooccurring OR co-occurring OR co-morbidity OR comorbidity OR “dual diagnosis” OR “dual disorder” OR concurrent

Appendix B: Excluded studies

Excluded studies

Reason for exclusion

Eden, T., & Hughes, L. (2009). Facilitating the dialogue between service users and participants in a training situation. Advances in Dual Diagnosis, 2(3), 5–7.

Harwood, H. J., Kowalski, J., & Ameen, A. (2004). The need for substance abuse training among mental health professionals. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 32(2), 189–205.

Manley, D. S. (2008). Acceptability and applicability of Cue Exposure Therapy as a relapse prevention intervention for individuals who have substance misuse and mental health problems. Mental Health and Substance Use, 1(2), 172–184.

Maxwell, S. (2001). Care of people with dual disabilities in the mental health system: Education vs. attitude rehabilitation. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills, 5(1), 197–215.

Moore, J. (2013). Dual diagnosis: training needs and attitudes of nursing staff: Jayne Moore explores nursing staff’s training needs and their attitudes towards patients who misuse substances in a large forensic mental health service. Mental Health Practice, 16(6), 27–31.

Nehlin, C., Fredriksson, A., Gronbladh, L., & Jansson, L. (2012). Three hours of training improve psychiatric staff’s self-perceived knowledge and attitudes toward problem-drinking patients. Drug and Alcohol Review, 31(4), 544–549.

Rassool, G. H. (2006). Professional Education in Co-occurring Disorders: Some Considerations towards Practice Development: Journal of Addictions Nursing, 17(3), 187–191.

Schoener, E. P., Madeja, C. L., Henderson, M. J., Ondersma, S. J., & Janisse, J. J. (2006). Effects of motivational interviewing training on mental health therapist behavior. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 82(3), 269–275.

Wrong intervention

Cameron, J., Lee, N. K., & Harney, A. (2010). Changes in attitude to, and confidence in, working with comorbidity after training in screening and brief intervention. Mental Health and Substance Use: Dual Diagnosis, 3(2), 124–130.

Caravella, K., Tod, L., & Brown, A.-M. (2012). Awareness into action: How communication skills training enhances traditional substance abuse treatment programs. Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice, 6(1).

Crowe, T. P., Kelly, P., Pepper, J., McLennan, R., Deane, F. P., & Buckingham, M. (2013). Service Based Internship Training to Prepare Workers to Support the Recovery of People with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 11(2), 269–280.

Hunter, S. B., Watkins, K. E., Wenzel, S., Gilmore, J., Sheehe, J., & Griffin, B. (2005). Training substance abuse treatment staff to care for co-occurring disorders. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 28(3), 239–245.

Lee, N., Jenner, L., Baker, A., Ritter, A., Hides, L., Norman, J., … Cameron, J. (2010). Screening and intervention for mental health problems in alcohol and other drug settings: Can training change practitioner behaviour? Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy, 18(2), 157–160.

Roussy, V., Thomacos, N., Rudd, A., & Crockett, B. (2013). Enhancing health-care workers’ understanding and thinking about people living with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues through consumer-led training. Health Expectations, 18(5), 1567–81.

Wenzel, S. L., Ebener, P., Hunter, S. B., Watkins, K. E., & Gilmore, J. M. (2005). Research-practice partners assess their first joint project. Science & Practice Perspectives, 3(1), 38–45.

Wrong study population

Covell, N. H., Margolies, P. J., Smith, M. F., Merrens, M. R., & Essock, S. M. (2011). Distance Training and Implementation Supports to Scale Up Integrated Treatment for People With Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 7(3), 162–172.

Davis, K., O’Neill, S., Devitt, T., Baerentzen, B., Little, N., & Wilkniss, S. (2012). Consulting in action: A case study of six community support teams sustaining integrated dual disorder treatment. American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 15(4), 313–333.

Lewis, T. (2008). Dual diagnosis education by distance learning. Advances in Dual Diagnosis, 1(2), 13–18.

McKee, S. A., Harris, G. T., & Cormier, C. A. (2013). Implementing Residential Integrated Treatment for Co-occurring Disorders. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 9(3), 249–259. http://doi.org/10.1080/15504263.2013.807073

Renner Jr., J. A., Quinones, J., & Wilson, A. (2005). Training psychiatrists to diagnose and treat substance abuse disorders. Current Psychiatry Reports, 7(5), 352–359.

Wrong outcomes

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Pinderup, P., Thylstrup, B. & Hesse, M. Critical Review of Dual Diagnosis Training for Mental Health Professionals. Int J Ment Health Addiction 14, 856–872 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-016-9665-3

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