An Educational Program for Mental Health Nurses and Community Health Workers from Pacific Island Countries: Results from a Pilot Study

Figures & data

Figure 1  Map of Countries of Participants. Source: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons Licence CC0

TABLE 1  Summary of Grand Challenges Goals Prioritized by Participants and Incorporated into the Program

Goal B	Goal C	Goal D	Goal E
Advance prevention and implementation of early interventions	Improve treatments and expand access to care	Raise awareness of the global burden	Build human resource capacity

TABLE 2  Program Summary

Workshops	Mental Health Simulation	Visits/Visitors
• Teaching theories & styles • Education pedagogy & philosophy • Mental health promotion • Leadership & governance • Reflective practice • Clinical supervision • Evidence-based practice • Resilience • Perinatal mental health • Mental health first aid • Mental health promotion poster presentation	• Mental health nursing roles • Mental health assessment • Mental state assessment • Psychosocial assessment • Mental health disorders	• Consumer consultant • Local mental health nurses • Local non-government services • James Cook University library & computer rooms • Private mental health hospital • Public mental health unit • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander cultural centres

TABLE 3  NSR1: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Ranked from Highest to Lowest Confidence at Baseline

Rank	Mean	NSR1 Questions
1	1.77	I am able to refer mental health clients to appropriate services.
2	1.88	My communication with mental health clients is respectful.
3	1.94	I always know when to refer a client for psychiatric consultation.
4	2.05	I work well with patients with self-inflicted injuries.
5	2.11	I am able to communicate effectively with people who are suspicious or paranoid.
6	2.16	I am skilful in assessing psychotic symptoms.
7	2.16	I am skilful in performing a mental status assessment.
8	2.16	It is as easy for me to triage a mental health problem as it is to triage a physical health problem.
9	2.22	I am skilful in differentiating between delirium and dementia.
10	2.22	I am skilful in assessing potential for violence.
11	2.22	I am able to detect side-effects of psychoactive drugs.
12	2.22	My communication with clients with self-inflicted injuries is respectful.
13	2.23	My communication with clients affected by alcohol is respectful.
14	2.25	I utilize psychiatric terminology appropriately.
15	2.27	My communication skills enable me to calm anxious people.
16	2.29	I find it easy to understand clients who harm themselves.
17	2.33	I am skilful in differentiating substance intoxication and psychosis.
18	2.33	I understand the therapeutic actions of psychoactive drugs.
19	2.38	I find it easy to understand clients who are victims of repeated domestic violence.
20	2.50	I am able to identify the legal parameters that relate to mental health clients.
21	2.50	I am skilful in assessing suicide risk.
22	2.70	I find it easy to understand clients who injure themselves or others while driving under the influence of substances.

1 = Very true, 2 = Fairly true, 3 = Somewhat true, 4 = Not at all true.

Lower mean scores indicate higher confidence

TABLE 4  NSR2: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Ranked from Highest to Least Confidence from Baseline to Post Program

NSR 2	NSR 2		NSR 1	NSR 1
Rank	Mean	NSR2 Questions	Rank	Mean
1	1.39	I am able to refer mental health clients to appropriate services.	1	1.77
2	1.50	I always know when to refer a client for psychiatric consultation.	3	1.94
3	1.50	I am skilful in assessing psychotic symptoms.	6	2.16
4	1.50	It is as easy for me to triage a mental health problem as it is to triage a physical health problem.	8	2.16
5	1.55	My communication with mental health clients is respectful.	2	1.88
6	1.61	I am skilful in performing a mental status assessment.	7	2.16
7	1.61	My communication with clients affected by alcohol is respectful.	13	2.23
8	1.66	I find it easy to understand clients who are victims of repeated domestic violence.	19	2.38
9	1.66	I am able to communicate effectively with people who are suspicious or paranoid.	5	2.11
10	1.66	My communication with clients with self-inflicted injuries is respectful.	12	2.22
11	1.66	My communication skills enable me to calm anxious people.	15	2.27
12	1.77	I am able to detect side-effects of psychoactive drugs.	11	2.22
13	1.77	I work well with patients with self-inflicted injuries.	4	2.05
14	1.77	I understand the therapeutic actions of psychoactive drugs.	18	2.33
15	1.83	I utilize psychiatric terminology appropriately.	14	2.25
16	1.83	I am skilful in differentiating substance intoxication and psychosis.	17	2.33
17	1.88	I am skilful in assessing potential for violence.	10	2.22
18	2.00	I find it easy to understand clients who injure themselves or others while driving under the influence of substances.	22	2.70
19	2.00	I find it easy to understand clients who harm themselves.	16	2.29
20	2.00	I am able to identify the legal parameters that relate to mental health clients.	20	2.50
21	2.05	I am skilful in assessing suicide risk.	21	2.50
22	2.06	I am skilful in differentiating between delirium and dementia.	9	2.22

1 = Very true, 2 = Fairly true, 3 = Somewhat true, 4 = Not at all true

Lower mean scores indicate higher confidence

Figure 2  Changes in Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes: Pre- and Post-Test Mean Scores