Effectiveness of online training for improving knowledge, attitudes, and confidence of alcohol and other drug workers in relation to co-occurring mental health conditions

Figures & data

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of participants.

	n = 115
Demographics
% Female	74.8
% Male	23.5
% Other	1.7
Mean age (SD)	43.0 (12.6)
% Completed university education	69.6
% Completed vocational training	29.6
% Completed secondary school or less	0.9
Current occupation
% Caseworkers, counsellors, social workers	41.7
% Medical and other allied health professionals	23.5
% Other AOD workers	20.9
% Students	13.9
Service location
% New South Wales	33.3
% South Australia	16.2
% Queensland	14.4
% Victoria	13.5
% Western Australia	10.8
% Tasmania	7.2
% Northern Territory	2.7
% Australian Capital Territory	1.8
Experience with AOD and mental health
% More than 15 years’ experience  working with AOD-related issues	16.0
% More than 15 years’ experience  working with mental health-related issues	16.8
% More than 15 years’ experience  working with comorbidity-related issues	13.8
% Undertaken training in mental health	67.9
% Completed courses in comorbidity	79.1

Table 2. Participant knowledge, attitudes, and confidence at baseline and post-training.

	Baseline			Post-training
	% Strongly disagree /disagree	% Unsure	% Agree /strongly agree	% Strongly disagree /disagree	% Unsure	% Agree /strongly agree
Knowledge
Comorbidity treatment should involve consideration of the whole person, including psychological, physical, and sociodemographic needs	0.0	1.7	98.3	0.0	2.6	97.4
Mental health symptoms need to be monitored throughout treatment*	2.6	2.6	94.7	0.0	1.7	98.3
Clients with AOD problems often have co-occurring mental health conditions	3.5	1.7	94.7	0.0	2.6	97.4
All AOD clients should be routinely screened for mental health conditions*	2.6	5.2	92.1	0.0	4.3	95.6
Clients with co-occurring mental health conditions have special treatment needs*	7.0	13.0	80.0	2.6	4.3	93.1
Clients with co-occurring mental health conditions often require long term treatment	4.3	12.2	83.5	2.6	5.2	92.2
Clients with mental health conditions should be referred to mental health services	16.5	19.1	64.3	15.6	13.0	71.3
Clients with co-occurring mental health conditions have poorer treatment outcomes that those with AOD use disorders alone	30.5	24.3	45.3	32.1	11.3	56.6
Mental health conditions may resolve once the client has stopped drinking/using*	33.9	18.3	47.8	18.3	6.1	75.7
Attitudes
Clients with co-occurring mental health conditions are dangerous	89.6	7.0	3.4	88.7	7.8	3.5
It is my responsibility to follow-up clients once they have been referred to other services*	19.1	20.9	60.0	3.5	7.8	88.7
Clients with co-occurring mental health conditions are more difficult to treat that those with AOD use disorders alone	19.2	19.1	61.7	23.5	10.4	66.1
Clients should only be excluded from an AOD service if they are in a crisis situation (e.g. actively suicidal or psychotic)*	36.6	20.0	43.5	28.7	13.9	57.4
Once I have referred a client to another service they are no longer my responsibility*	71.3	20.0	8.7	87.0	7.0	6.0
I do not feel safe with clients who have co-occurring mental health conditions	93.9	4.3	1.7	89.6	5.2	5.2
AOD workers should not have to deal with mental health conditions as well as the AOD use disorder	93.9	4.3	1.7	88.7	3.5	7.8
Clients with other mental health conditions (such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders) should be excluded from AOD treatment services	95.6	1.7	2.6	93.1	4.3	2.6
Clients with severe mental health conditions (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) should be excluded from AOD treatment services	89.6	8.7	1.8	90.4	5.2	4.3
Confidence
I am confident in my ability to identify symptoms of common mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety)*	4.3	8.7	87.0	0.9	7.0	92.2
I am confident in my ability to talk to clients about co-occurring mental health conditions*	7.9	10.4	81.8	3.5	2.6	93.9
I am confident in my ability to talk to clients about traumatic events that may have happened in their lives (e.g. physical or sexual abuse)	5.2	13.0	81.8	4.4	8.7	86.9
I know where to refer clients who need treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions*	6.1	17.4	76.5	2.6	8.7	88.7
I know how to refer clients who need treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions*	6.1	18.3	75.6	2.6	7.8	89.6
I know where to access screeners and assessments for mental health conditions*	11.3	16.5	72.2	1.7	4.3	93.9
I am confident in my ability to manage the symptoms of co-occurring AOD and mental health conditions*	13.9	20.9	65.3	4.3	12.2	83.5
I am confident in my ability to treat co-occurring AOD and mental health conditions*	15.6	28.7	55.6	7.9	14.8	77.4

*Significant change in score from baseline to post-training (p < .05).

Table 3. Perceptions of the training program.

	Post-training N = 115
	% Not at all/slightly	% Moderately	% Quite a bit/extremely
How useful have you found the online training program	0.0	6.1	94.0
How satisfied are you with the online training program	1.7	0.9	97.4
	% Strongly disagree/disagree	% Unsure	% Agree/strongly agree
The online training program has enabled me to respond to comorbidity related issues with greater confidence	1.7	4.3	94.0
I gained skills or knowledge from online training program that enabled me to work more effectively with comorbidity issues	0.9	4.3	94.8
The online training program effectively illustrated links between the theory of responding to comorbidity and the practical aspects of responding	0.9	3.5	95.6
The information/materials provided in the online training program improved the quality of comorbidity related responses in my workplace	1.7	17.4	80.9
All in all, the online training program improved my responses to comorbidity in my workplace	0.0	7.8	92.2
The online training program addressed practical constraints of responding to comorbidity	2.6	7.8	89.6
The online training program effectively incorporated relevant workplace issues	0.9	7.0	92.2
The content of the online training program was appropriate for my current work needs	0.0	8.7	91.3
The online training program encouraged me to pursue further learning ‘on-the-job’	2.6	8.7	88.7
The online training program was consistent with my job requirements	0.0	7.8	92.2
The online training program was too removed from my experiences at my workplace to be useful	61.7	14.8	23.4
I have used some of the things I learnt from the online training program in my work	4.4	8.7	87.0

Table 4. Factors associated with a change in knowledge, attitudes, and confidence between baseline and post-training.

	Baseline			Post-training
	% Strongly disagree/disagree	% Unsure	% Agree/strongly agree	% Strongly disagree/disagree	% Unsure	% Agree/strongly agree
Knowledge
Clients with co-occurring mental health conditions have special treatment needs
Aged 17–25 years	18.2	27.3	54.5	9.1	9.1	81.9
Aged 26+	5.8	11.7	82.5	1.9	3.9	94.1
Confidence
I know where to refer clients who need treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions
Not completed previous comorbidity training	11.1	33.3	55.6	0.0	18.5	81.5
Completed previous comorbidity training	4.5	12.5	83.0	3.4	5.7	90.9
I know how to refer clients who need treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions
Not completed previous comorbidity training	11.1	33.3	55.6	0.0	14.8	85.2
Completed previous comorbidity training	4.5	13.6	81.9	3.4	5.7	91.0