title: Complex health conditions and mental health training: How prepared is the frontline service provider?
abstract: How prepared are frontline service providers for dealing with mental illness in patients with multiple, complex health conditions? The aims of this study were two-fold, to gain insight into the kinds of training and education desired by frontline service providers in a healthcare setting and to compile a list of key questions for health service managers and education leaders to address based on our findings. Over 100 care providers responded to a survey. Over half of the respondents indicated no mental health training, and the majority desired increased training and support. Suggested approaches ranged from regular workshops (eg, case presentations) to systems-level strategies (eg, partnering with mental health organizations). This study provides a critical first look into what frontline service providers identify as being essential to their skill set in working with a complex population and raises important questions for healthcare managers and educators to consider in addressing this gap.
authors.affiliation: Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. gibson.aa@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuluski
authors.affiliation: Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Renée
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lyons