Universal mental health training for frontline professionals (UMHT)'s feasibility analysis.

Abstract

Background: Universal Mental Health Training for Frontline Professionals (UMHT) is an educational programme developed and piloted in Ukraine in 2021-2023. The UMHT trains frontline professionals (FLPs) to interact with, support, and refer individuals with mental health conditions for professional help.

Methods: To assess the UMHT feasibility in four focus areas (programme's demand, acceptability, adaptability, and extendability), we used statistics on the actual use of the programme, as well as data from satisfaction and usability surveying of 144 programme deliverers and 714 trained frontline professionals. A combination of Kruskal-Wallis and Post Hoc Dunn tests was used to identify statistically significant intergroup differences in the UMHT usability.

Results: Programme's demand increased through years of implementation (2021, 2022, 2023) in terms of the numbers of training events (27, 35, 90), trained frontline professionals (596, 779, 1548), involved donors and supporters (1, 4, 9) and implementers (2, 10, 18). The UMHT acceptability as satisfaction with the programme content and delivery, measured out of 5, is 4.81 (SD=0.291) for the UMHT trainers and 4.78(SD=0.434) for trained FLPs. The UMHT preparedness to use trained skills after participation in the training events, on the same scale, is 4.57 (SD=0.438) for the UMHT trainers and 4.46 (SD=0.650) for trained FLPs. The highest levels of usability of all UMHT skills on a scale from 0 to 1 were found for educators (0.68 [SD=0.118]), police officers (0.67 [SD=0.098]), and social workers (0.66 [SD=0.113]).

Conclusions: The UMHT offers a universal frame of interaction with people with mental health conditions for frontline professionals. Assessment of the UMHT feasibility shows the programme's potential for further development and implementation. Programme trainers as its deliverers and frontline professionals as its recipients report high satisfaction with training content and delivery as well as preparedness to apply gained knowledge and skills in practice.