Analysis of the Current Status and Demand for Mental Health Knowledge Among Grassroots Medical Workers in Tongxiang City.
Psychiatric disorders are often accompanied by complex comorbidities. Even non-psychiatric medical professionals are increasingly encountering patients with mental disorders during routine clinical practice. This study assessed post-training mental health knowledge and additional training needs across grassroots medical workers who had recently undergone systematic training, aiming to provide empirical evidence for building the capacity of mental health professionals.
This study surveyed 503 medical staff from various levels and types of medical institutions in Tongxiang city, China, who had undergone systematic mental health training. Data regarding baseline characteristics and mental health-related knowledge were obtained 1-2 days after training completion using two questionnaire types: the "Questionnaire on Medical Staff's Awareness of Mental Health Issues" and the "Questionnaire on Training Needs of Medical Staff". The Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) test was used to compare the demand for psychiatric services and total psychiatric knowledge scores among primary care medical staff with different job positions, specialties, professional titles, and years of service.
The mean mental health knowledge score among 503 grassroots medical workers was 53.22 ± 17.44 out of the total 70 points. Regarding mental health service training content, over 80% of the respondents reported knowledge and skills items as "urgently needed" or "needed", with some items exceeding 90%. Short-term training workshops were the preferred delivery approach, with centralized on-site lectures or distance education as the favored formats. High demand was reported for theoretical knowledge sessions, simulated case-based discussions, simulation exercises, and internship practice; the preferred training duration was half a working day per session. The leading motivations for participating in training were job requirements, personal professional development needs, and skill enhancement, whereas the main barriers to participating in training were workload or scheduling conflicts. Multiple factors were found to affect training effectiveness, including training time, format, and content. Significant differences were observed in the proportion of mental health service needs regarding primary job positions, specialties, professional titles, and years of service (p < 0.05). Total mental health knowledge scores also varied by primary job position, years of service, and prior participation in mental health work (p < 0.05).
Grassroots medical workers demonstrated a foundational level of mental health knowledge following recent systematic training, with significant inter-individual variation. Demand for mental health service training was generally high, with job requirements and personal capacity enhancement as the primary drivers, while time constraints and insufficient course practicality of the modules were the main barriers. It is recommended to develop and implement corresponding strategies to address these challenges and enhance grassroots medical workers' mastery of mental health knowledge.
This study surveyed 503 medical staff from various levels and types of medical institutions in Tongxiang city, China, who had undergone systematic mental health training. Data regarding baseline characteristics and mental health-related knowledge were obtained 1-2 days after training completion using two questionnaire types: the "Questionnaire on Medical Staff's Awareness of Mental Health Issues" and the "Questionnaire on Training Needs of Medical Staff". The Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) test was used to compare the demand for psychiatric services and total psychiatric knowledge scores among primary care medical staff with different job positions, specialties, professional titles, and years of service.
The mean mental health knowledge score among 503 grassroots medical workers was 53.22 ± 17.44 out of the total 70 points. Regarding mental health service training content, over 80% of the respondents reported knowledge and skills items as "urgently needed" or "needed", with some items exceeding 90%. Short-term training workshops were the preferred delivery approach, with centralized on-site lectures or distance education as the favored formats. High demand was reported for theoretical knowledge sessions, simulated case-based discussions, simulation exercises, and internship practice; the preferred training duration was half a working day per session. The leading motivations for participating in training were job requirements, personal professional development needs, and skill enhancement, whereas the main barriers to participating in training were workload or scheduling conflicts. Multiple factors were found to affect training effectiveness, including training time, format, and content. Significant differences were observed in the proportion of mental health service needs regarding primary job positions, specialties, professional titles, and years of service (p < 0.05). Total mental health knowledge scores also varied by primary job position, years of service, and prior participation in mental health work (p < 0.05).
Grassroots medical workers demonstrated a foundational level of mental health knowledge following recent systematic training, with significant inter-individual variation. Demand for mental health service training was generally high, with job requirements and personal capacity enhancement as the primary drivers, while time constraints and insufficient course practicality of the modules were the main barriers. It is recommended to develop and implement corresponding strategies to address these challenges and enhance grassroots medical workers' mastery of mental health knowledge.