What the study found
A theory-based measurement tool showed that a continuing medical education program was linked to improvements in primary care clinicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions for pediatric mental health care. The gains were sustained at 6 months for primary care-common disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, and suicidality.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that this CME model produced durable improvements in primary care clinicians' readiness to deliver pediatric mental health care. They also suggest that the measurement tool may provide a practical, domain-specific way to evaluate training programs that cover multiple pediatric mental health disorders in primary care.
What the researchers tested
The researchers evaluated the Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care mini-fellowship, which included a 3-day interactive workshop and 12 follow-up coaching calls. They used a 68-item assessment completed by 898 primary care clinicians at baseline, after the workshop, and at 6 months, and analyzed the structure and reliability of the tool as well as changes over time.
What worked and what didn't
Principal-components analysis identified 10 stable domains that aligned with clinical priorities and separated primary care-common disorders from specialty-level disorders such as bipolar disorder, severe aggression, and conduct disorders. All domains showed strong internal consistency, with alpha values of at least 0.77. Significant improvements were seen postworkshop in knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions, with sustained gains at 6 months for primary care-common disorders; improvements in knowledge of and comfort with specialty-level disorders predicted stronger behavioral intentions across both categories. Participants who trained after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had slightly larger and more persistent improvements.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe limitations beyond the 6-month follow-up and the fact that only 416 of 898 participants completed it. It also does not provide details on the clinical outcomes for patients, so the findings are about clinician readiness and measured intentions rather than patient health effects.
Key points
- A continuing medical education mini-fellowship was associated with improved clinician knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions.
- Benefits remained at 6 months for primary care-common disorders, including ADHD, depression, anxiety, and suicidality.
- The assessment tool identified 10 stable domains and showed strong internal consistency across domains.
- Knowledge of and comfort with specialty-level disorders predicted stronger behavioral intentions.
- Post-COVID-19 training participants had slightly larger and more persistent improvements.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Training improved pediatric primary care mental health readiness
- Authors:
- Peter S. Jensen, Cathryn A. Galanter, Mark L. Wolraich, Ruth E. K. Stein, M. Lynn Crismon
- Institutions:
- Realistic Education in Action Coalition to Foster Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Stony Brook University, University of Oklahoma, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Austin College
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-02
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with peer-reviewed research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.