A mental health course for developmental allied healthcare professionals: An exploration of potential effectiveness

We examined the effectiveness of a mental health course for developmental allied healthcare professionals (DAHPs) that focused on emotional and relational processes inherent to treatment. We hypothesized that (a) following the course, DAHPs would report increased awareness and sense of competence in dealing with these processes; (b) an increased sense of competence would be associated with decreased burnout; (c) following the course, DAHPs would increase their reading and participation in seminars about emotional processes in therapy; and (d) DAHPs would report the course had positive effects on their work and that they use a more relationship-based treatment approach. Participants were 153 Israeli DAHPs. They reported their attitudes and sense of competence in coping with emotional and relational processes in treatment in three time points: before, upon completion, and at follow-up. At follow-up, participants also reported level of burnout and the extent they made changes in their work. They provided examples of these changes, which were qualitatively analyzed. Study hypotheses were supported. Results suggest participating in a relatively brief mental health course is associated with positive changes in DAHPs’ attitudes, sense of competence, and professional approach toward a relationship-based treatment.