title: A pilot before-and-after study of a brief teaching programme for psychiatry trainees in mentalizing skills.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Negative attitudes in clinicians towards people with personality disorder are common and associated with poor care. National guidelines recommend developing interventions to improve attitudes. Mentalization-based treatment theory and techniques provide a plausible intervention. We therefore evaluated the effect of teaching mentalizing skills on clinicians' attitudes towards personality disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pilot before-and-after study of trainee psychiatrists receiving four teaching sessions in mentalizing skills. Self-report questionnaires were completed at baseline and post teaching programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  Attitudes to Personality Disorder Questionnaire.
  Knowledge and Application of Mentalization-based treatment Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen doctors were recruited with no study drop-out. Mean Attitudes to Personality Disorder Questionnaire score was superior post teaching programme versus baseline (135.3 vs. 124.5, standardised mean difference = 0.72, 95% confidence interval = 0.01 to 1.44). Mean Knowledge and Application of Mentalization-based treatment Questionnaire score was superior post teaching programme versus baseline (112.5 vs. 97.1, standardised mean difference = 1.83, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 2.67).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As expected from a pilot study, the estimate of effect is imprecise. Within this limitation, our findings suggest that teaching in mentalizing skills improved attitudes and mentalization-based treatment knowledge to a clinically relevant degree. This has important implications for patient outcomes and staff development. Our study paves the way for a full-scale study to provide more precise and robust evidence.
authors.affiliation: Specialty Registrar in Psychotherapy, Edinburgh Psychotherapy Department, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK; Honorary Fellow, Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK adam.polnay@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polnay
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychologist, Edinburgh Psychotherapy Department, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacLean
authors.affiliation: Specialty Doctor in Psychotherapy, Edinburgh Psychotherapy Department, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lewington
authors.affiliation: Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy, Edinburgh Psychotherapy Department, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patrick
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D012606:Scotland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D056345:Theory of Mind
keywords: Attitudes; mentalization-based treatment; mentalizing skills; personality disorder