Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non-specialist health workers in South Africa
Mental disorders have a considerable impact on the rates of disability in the world. Economic data have consistently shown that the indirect losses resulting from poorly managed mental disorders continue to outstrip countries' health budgets. Given a significant shortage of health care professionals...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614414291599360 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mahlakametsa, Mpho |
| author2 | Sibeko, Ntokozo |
| author_browse | Mahlakametsa, Mpho Sibeko, Ntokozo |
| author_facet | Sibeko, Ntokozo Mahlakametsa, Mpho |
| author_sort | Mahlakametsa, Mpho |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Mental disorders have a considerable impact on the rates of disability in the world. Economic data have consistently shown that the indirect losses resulting from poorly managed mental disorders continue to outstrip countries' health budgets. Given a significant shortage of health care professionals in low-and middle-income countries, particularly for mental health, and the unequal distribution of resources, a task-shifting approach has been proposed to broaden access to services using less specialised health care providers and reduce the treatment gap resulting from a shortage of human resources. The study observations have shown that this as a feasible option that may improve mental health outcomes. This study expanded on a pilot intervention study carried out by Sibeko and colleagues, which demonstrated that mental health training offered to non-specialised health workers' (NSHW) in the Western Cape province of South Africa had a positive impact on their knowledge, confidence, and attitudes. Method: This study analysed data collected as part of routine programmatic data collection of mental health training provided to 344 NSHW in various centres across South Africa. The mental health knowledge schedule and community attitudes towards mental illness tests were administered before and after the training was provided. The test scores were analysed using regression models to determine which of the demographic characteristics had an impact in the scores. Results: Seventy one percent of the training recipients were women, with 97% of them with a minimum education level of grade 8 or higher. The median age was 36, with the median duration of working as a NSHW of six years. There was an overall statistically significant increase in the knowledge score (pre-training median 43, post-training median 46, p-value < 0.01). nearly 90% recipients showed an openness to living next to individuals with mental illness. Following training, the recipients were less likely to report that people suffering from mental disorders were threatening. There only statistically significant change in attitude scores was in the social restrictiveness subscale (pre-training median 28, post-training median, 27 p-value <0.01). Conclusion: The training provided to the NSHW improved their knowledge and attitude scores, in keeping with the original study. We recommend continued training to upskill this cadre of health workers to enhance the screening, early recognition of, and intervention of mental disorders. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41732 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:51:39.859Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| publisherStr | Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41732 Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non-specialist health workers in South Africa Mahlakametsa, Mpho Sibeko, Ntokozo Mental health Workers South Africa Mental disorders have a considerable impact on the rates of disability in the world. Economic data have consistently shown that the indirect losses resulting from poorly managed mental disorders continue to outstrip countries' health budgets. Given a significant shortage of health care professionals in low-and middle-income countries, particularly for mental health, and the unequal distribution of resources, a task-shifting approach has been proposed to broaden access to services using less specialised health care providers and reduce the treatment gap resulting from a shortage of human resources. The study observations have shown that this as a feasible option that may improve mental health outcomes. This study expanded on a pilot intervention study carried out by Sibeko and colleagues, which demonstrated that mental health training offered to non-specialised health workers' (NSHW) in the Western Cape province of South Africa had a positive impact on their knowledge, confidence, and attitudes. Method: This study analysed data collected as part of routine programmatic data collection of mental health training provided to 344 NSHW in various centres across South Africa. The mental health knowledge schedule and community attitudes towards mental illness tests were administered before and after the training was provided. The test scores were analysed using regression models to determine which of the demographic characteristics had an impact in the scores. Results: Seventy one percent of the training recipients were women, with 97% of them with a minimum education level of grade 8 or higher. The median age was 36, with the median duration of working as a NSHW of six years. There was an overall statistically significant increase in the knowledge score (pre-training median 43, post-training median 46, p-value < 0.01). nearly 90% recipients showed an openness to living next to individuals with mental illness. Following training, the recipients were less likely to report that people suffering from mental disorders were threatening. There only statistically significant change in attitude scores was in the social restrictiveness subscale (pre-training median 28, post-training median, 27 p-value <0.01). Conclusion: The training provided to the NSHW improved their knowledge and attitude scores, in keeping with the original study. We recommend continued training to upskill this cadre of health workers to enhance the screening, early recognition of, and intervention of mental disorders. 2025-09-09T10:24:46Z 2025-09-09T10:24:46Z 2025 2025-09-09T10:21:49Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MMed http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41732 en eng application/pdf Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Mental health Workers South Africa Mahlakametsa, Mpho Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non-specialist health workers in South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non-specialist health workers in South Africa |
| title_full | Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non-specialist health workers in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non-specialist health workers in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non-specialist health workers in South Africa |
| title_short | Evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non-specialist health workers in South Africa |
| title_sort | evaluating the effectiveness of mental health training on the knowledge and attitudes of non specialist health workers in south africa |
| topic | Mental health Workers South Africa |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41732 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mahlakametsampho evaluatingtheeffectivenessofmentalhealthtrainingontheknowledgeandattitudesofnonspecialisthealthworkersinsouthafrica |