Mental Health Literacy and Education of Complementary Medicine Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Harnett, JE; Leach, MJ; Karzon, R; McIntyre, E

Mental Health Literacy and Education of Complementary Medicine Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Harnett, JE Leach, MJ Karzon, R McIntyre, E

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Publisher:: SPRINGER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Adm Policy Ment Health, 2024, 51, (2), pp. 217-225
Issue Date:: 2024-03

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Harnett, JE
dc.contributor.author	Leach, MJ
dc.contributor.author	Karzon, R
dc.contributor.author	McIntyre, E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3970-9979
dc.date.accessioned	2024-03-20T01:08:37Z
dc.date.available	2023-12-18
dc.date.available	2024-03-20T01:08:37Z
dc.date.issued	2024-03
dc.identifier.citation	Adm Policy Ment Health, 2024, 51, (2), pp. 217-225
dc.identifier.issn	0894-587X
dc.identifier.issn	1573-3289
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/176934
dc.description.abstract	An estimated 42% of Australians who consult complementary medicine (CM) practitioners have a mental health diagnosis. Preparedness of CM practitioners in managing such diagnoses is currently unknown. A cross-sectional survey of 257 CM practitioners who reported caring for people with a mental health diagnosis. Practitioners' mental health literacy, educational needs, and confidence in the assessment, management, and treatment of mental health-including suicide risk-were analysed. Most (59.1%) participants had no formal qualifications in mental health and 44.3% indicated they had not completed any training in psychological therapies. Only 20% were trained in mindfulness-based techniques or goal setting. Over 50% reported their undergraduate qualification contained insufficient mental health content to prepare them for clinical practice. Over one-half had attended continuing professional education on mental health. Practitioners reported greater confidence in assessing, managing, and treating mental wellbeing over complex mental health disorders and suicide risk. These findings uncovered a deficit in the CM practitioner's surveyed mental health education. As these CM practitioners are a primary point of contact for patients with mental health diagnoses, there is a critical need to expedite skills development in this workforce to support the delivery of safe and effective primary mental health care.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	SPRINGER
dc.relation.ispartof	Adm Policy Ment Health
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s10488-023-01339-x
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1103 Clinical Sciences, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1701 Psychology
dc.subject.classification	Psychiatry
dc.subject.classification	4203 Health services and systems
dc.subject.classification	5201 Applied and developmental psychology
dc.subject.classification	5203 Clinical and health psychology
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Cross-Sectional Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Health Literacy
dc.subject.mesh	Mental Health
dc.subject.mesh	Traditional Medicine Practitioners
dc.subject.mesh	Australasian People
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Cross-Sectional Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Mental Health
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Health Literacy
dc.subject.mesh	Australasian People
dc.subject.mesh	Traditional Medicine Practitioners
dc.title	Mental Health Literacy and Education of Complementary Medicine Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	51
utslib.location.activity	United States
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-03-20T01:08:34Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	51
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

An estimated 42% of Australians who consult complementary medicine (CM) practitioners have a mental health diagnosis. Preparedness of CM practitioners in managing such diagnoses is currently unknown. A cross-sectional survey of 257 CM practitioners who reported caring for people with a mental health diagnosis. Practitioners' mental health literacy, educational needs, and confidence in the assessment, management, and treatment of mental health-including suicide risk-were analysed. Most (59.1%) participants had no formal qualifications in mental health and 44.3% indicated they had not completed any training in psychological therapies. Only 20% were trained in mindfulness-based techniques or goal setting. Over 50% reported their undergraduate qualification contained insufficient mental health content to prepare them for clinical practice. Over one-half had attended continuing professional education on mental health. Practitioners reported greater confidence in assessing, managing, and treating mental wellbeing over complex mental health disorders and suicide risk. These findings uncovered a deficit in the CM practitioner's surveyed mental health education. As these CM practitioners are a primary point of contact for patients with mental health diagnoses, there is a critical need to expedite skills development in this workforce to support the delivery of safe and effective primary mental health care.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/176934