#MHForAll Webinar: Mental Health Education for Future Doctors and Nurses
The MHForAll webinar series kicked off the year with a dynamic discussion on the integration of mental health training into medical and nursing education. The session featured expert panellists from various organisations, each bringing valuable insights and experiences to the forefront.
Panellists
Shekhar Saxena: Professor of the Practice of Global Mental Health at the Department of Global Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, US (Chair)
Brandon Gray: Technical Officer, World Health Organisation (WHO), Switzerland
Salman Khan: Liaison Officer for Public Health Issues, International Federation for Medical Students’ Association (IFMSA), Denmark
Dr. Sankha Randenikumara: Co-Chair, Special Interest Group on Policy Advocacy, World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), Sri Lanka
David Stewart: Deputy Chief Nursing (Consultant), International Council of Nurses (ICN), Australia
Charlotte Hanlon: Co-Director of the Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, UK (Chair)
Farjana Sharmin: Programme Manager, BRAC, Bangladesh
Replay session 1 of 2:
Session notes:
The webinar commenced with the chair addressing the inefficiencies in mental health services globally, emphasising the shortage of clinicians to meet the rising demand. Proposals to enhance mental health competency among general health professionals, particularly doctors and nurses, have been circulating for some time, highlighting the urgency of addressing pre-service education in this regard.
WHO's Initiative:
Brandon Gray from WHO provided an overview of the organisation's efforts in pre-service education on mental health. He emphasised the foundational nature of pre-service education, occurring before clinicians enter clinical service. Despite being an underfunded area, WHO has been consolidating relevant literature and resources, mapping essential competencies for doctors and nurses. Gray highlighted the need for sustainable long-term education in this domain.
Read the Enhancing Mental Health pre-service training with the mhGAP Intervention Guide: experiences and lessons learned - https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240007666
Check out the QualityRights materials for training, guidance and transformation here - https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-qualityrights-guidance-and-training-tools
IFMSA Advocacy:
Salman Khan underscored the importance of mental health training in medical education, noting the lack of awareness and competencies among medical students. He stressed the significance of human rights-oriented mental health practices and counselling skills, advocating for upskilling doctors to combat the stigma surrounding mental health.
Read the review on the issue of the mental health of healthcare workers - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.679397/full
WONCA's Perspective:
Dr. Sankha Randenikumara elaborated on WONCA's advocacy for mental health training among family physicians. He emphasised the role of primary care in managing most mental illnesses and highlighted the necessity for strong leadership, advocacy, and change management training. Projects like advocacy training for young family doctors exemplify WONCA's commitment to transforming mental health care in primary settings.
More info on the WONCA Working Party: Mental Health can be found here - https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/groups/WorkingParties/MentalHealth3.aspx
Report and global call to action: Advocacy training for young family doctors in primary health care - https://bjgpopen.org/content/6/1/BJGPO.2021.0163
Replay session 2 of 2:
ICN's Contribution:
David Stewart discussed ICN's role in integrating mental health training into nursing education. He pointed out disparities in mental health training globally and previewed an upcoming report on mental health nursing guidelines. Stewart stressed the importance of theoretical knowledge and skills development in preparing nurses for mental health care roles.
Read ICN's report on The Global Mental Health Nursing Workforce: https://www.icn.ch/resources/publications-and-reports/global-mental-health-nursing-workforce
BRAC's Role:
Farjana Sharmin shed light on BRAC's efforts in Bangladesh, focusing on effective capacity building for the health workforce on mental health. She highlighted the essential role of community health workers who receive regular mental health training and share their experiences with the community. Farjana emphasised the need for scaling up community health training to upskill staff and stressed the responsibility of government and local leadership in addressing mental health challenges.
Find out more about the work of BRAC on this topic: https://www.brac.net/program/mental-health/
Barriers and Solutions:
The panellists addressed various barriers to implementing mental health training, including bureaucracy, limited exposure among educators, and institutional-based training programs. Solutions proposed included practical workshops, developing soft skills like leadership, and investing in education providers. Involving stakeholders with lived experience was deemed crucial in curriculum development.
