To test the impact of training for staff who work with people who have co-existing mental health and substance use problems.
A randomised controlled trial.
An NHS Primary Care Division in the West of Scotland.
Forty-nine mental health nurses.
Intervention. A four-day training programme. Measurements: (a) therapeutic attitudes measured by the co-morbidity problems perceptions questionnaire; (b) knowledge of alcohol, drugs and co-morbidity measured by a structured questionnaire.
Significant effects for group (F=30.42, p<0.001) were found in therapeutic attitude scores and also over time (F=10.66, p<0.001). A significant interaction was also found (p<0.001). Post-hoc testing revealed that the mean pre-training attitude score was significantly different from post-training (p=0.001; 95%CI 5.53, 25.38) and from six-months follow-up (p<0.001; 95%CI 11.26, 32.49) but that post-training and follow-up mean scores were not significantly different (p=0.358; 95%CI −4.71, 17.55). For knowledge, a significant group effect was found (F=10.32, p=0.002), and also a significant time effect (F=3.35, p=0.039) but no significant interaction effect was present (p=0.169). The post-hoc testing revealed that only a pre-training to six-month follow-up time effect was statistically significant (p=0.005; 95%CI 1.37, 9.29).
The training programme was effective in improving the therapeutic attitudes of participants to working with clients who have co-existing mental health and substance use problems, both immediately after the training was delivered, and at six-months follow-up. It was also effective in improving participants’ overall knowledge of alcohol, drugs and co-morbidity.