It Can Be Learned, but Can It Be Taught?

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate clinicians' knowledge of the dual diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) before and after a six-month intensive state-wide training on this topic. Methods:225 clinicians in seven community-based substance abuse and mental health agencies in Connecticut completed a knowledge test on PTSD and SUD before and after the intensive training program. They also completed a measure of their professional and personal characteristics. The intensive program on PTSD and SUD included three full days of training, monthly on-site consultation meetings, and weekly telephone conference calls. All seven agencies implemented Seeking Safety, a manual-based intervention designed for PTSD and SUD, and the training focused on that treatment model as well as more general PTSD-SUD information. Results: Clinicians' knowledge increased significantly from pre-to post-training, but only by 5%. At pre-training, their knowledge was already relatively high (68% of items correct). However, knowledge of basic facts on trauma and PTSD were known by only a minority of the sample even after the intensive training. Clinicians' professional and personal characteristics (e.g., degree, experience, age, gender) were not associated with their knowledge levels, nor was their own experience of trauma, PTSD, or SUD. Conclusions: It is unclear what educational methods might be most effective to teach clinicians about the dual diagnosis of PTSD and SUD. Knowledge levels on this topic range widely, and the small increase observed in this study suggests the need for further study and innovation. Evaluation of knowledge in relation to clinical practice is also needed.