Original researchEffects of a depression education program on residents’ knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills☆
Section snippets
Materials and methods
We approached the directors of eight residency programs in the western United States and obtained their permission to recruit their residents for participation in the study. The eight residency programs included four university-based programs, three Kaiser Permanente programs, and one public hospital program. Approval was obtained from the institutional review boards governing each program. Of the 84 eligible residents, 74 (88%) enrolled in the study and, where required, gave written consent.
Results
Of the 74 residents enrolled in the study, 67 (90%) were available to attend the curriculum. The seven unavailable residents were on at night, off service, on extramural rotations, or taking family, medical, or administrative leave. Of the 67 enrolled and available residents, 57 (85%) attended or read the lecture, 59 (88%) attended the first workshop session, and 52 (78%) attended the second workshop session. Overall, 43 (64%) of the available residents attended the entire three-component
Discussion
A 5-hour Depression Education Program for residents in obstetrics and gynecology produced immediate and sustained improvements in knowledge and self-efficacy and in self-reported and charted clinical behaviors with patients suspected to be depressed. The relative magnitude and persistence of these improvements is impressive given the lack of reinforcement of the intervention during the 3-month follow-up period. Reported use of formal diagnostic criteria with a recent depressed patient improved
Acknowledgements
Pam Edwards, MD, is gratefully acknowledged for skillfully cofacilitating all of the workshops with local faculty, including Drs. Ann Eastman (Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center, Oakland), Michelle Young (Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara), Kathy Blenko (Santa Clara Valley Medical Center), and Hal Holbrook (Stanford University).
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The development and evaluation of the Depression Education Program for Residents in Obstetrics and Gynecology was supported by grants from the Initiative on Depression and Primary Care of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago, Illinois.