title: [The knowledge acquired during and adherence to a postgraduate course concerned with mental health aimed at school counselors].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the academic performance in, and adherence to, a postgraduate course focused on promotion, prevention, identification, and early intervention with regard to the different mental problems and pathologies affecting children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a before-and-after intervention study involving a postgraduate course. The population of school counselors from the Colombian regions of Boyacá and Cundinamarca were invited to participate in a postgraduate course that addressed mental health. Their knowledge was evaluated before and after having received it.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The school counselors performed well on the academic test, with 48.5 % of the population obtaining a score of 4.0/5.0 before the intervention. After the course, 61.2 % achieved the same score. It was thus considered that the course functioned as a tool for improving knowledge about promotion, prevention, recognition, and early intervention with regard to mental health in educational institutions. There was a 90.6 % adherence to the 120-hour-long postgraduate course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The postgraduate course seemed to have a positive impact in terms of the knowledge acquired about mental health, and there was good adherence to the course.
authors.affiliation: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia, cgomez@javeriana.edu.co.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez-Restrepo
authors.affiliation: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia, cgomez@javeriana.edu.co.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamayo-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayala-Corredor
authors.affiliation: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia, cgomez@javeriana.edu.co.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrasco-Gil
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Jurisprudencia, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Padilla-Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Jurisprudencia, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Garzón
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Jurisprudencia, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Borda
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Jurisprudencia, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verhelst
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: María P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Lina M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia, cgomez@javeriana.edu.co.
authors.forename: Jackie F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003105:Colombia; D003376:Counseling / Q000193:education*; D000068237:Distance Counseling; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D004496:Education, Continuing; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008603:Mental Health / Q000193:education*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012572:School Health Services