Training beyond borders: A WPA pilot project for Child and Adolescent Mental Health course in Pakistan

Abstract

Background: The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) strives to close the gap between expertise in high income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). WPA volunteering programme is a project framework wherein area specific experts from HICs volunteer to support local experts in the LMICs in training their own professionals. This paper reports on the outcome of a collaborative project on Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) training in Pakistan. Methods: Thirty participants from twenty three different institutions across Pakistan were selected on the basis of their interest in CAMH. Two volunteers (ST and MH) met online with the Pakistani representatives (NI and QUH) to develop a programme. They also regularly met online between the sessions to evaluate adjustments in order to increase appropriateness of the offered content according to participants‘ feedback and suggestions. Results: The pre- and post-course evaluation revealed statistically significant improvement in knowledge and skills gained in different topics covered in the course (P-value<0.001) as well as improvement in confidence in applying the theoretical knowledge of CAMH problems in their daily clinical practice (P-value<0.001) Conclusions: The WPA volunteering programme is a valuable strategy to deliver effective and much needed training in low resource settings. Long-distance learning via live online sessions is effective and worthwhile, especially when they provide opportunities for participants to learn from interactive sessions.

WPA Volunteering Programme: lessons learnt so far

“…The Working Group members have now gained considerable experience in preparing and running online volunteer training programmes. Pilot projects have taken place in Mexico 13 and Pakistan 15 . Work is currently underway to prepare volunteer projects in Libya, Honduras and Guate mala 14 .…”

WPA education initiatives in the triennium 2020‐2023

“…The programme of these meetings has been in full swing. We are in an exciting yet challenging time, but we have continued to do our utmost to promote the mission of the Association and to contribute to its achievements and success 2,[9][10][11] .…”

“…As of today, the WPA Workgroup on Volunteering has successfully completed one project in Mexico 8 and another one in Pakistan 9 . Both projects had the unique characteristics of involving local trainers in the programme, emphasizing the training ingredients of experiential role‐plays and live demonstrations, extensively having the participants involved in the discussions, and asking local trainers and participants to contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness of the projects as well as rating their satisfaction with the programme.…”

Technology-Enhanced Learning in Medical Education Collection: Latest Developments

“…To date, the Technology-Enhanced Learning in Medical Education collection, part of MedEdPublish , has received submissions relating to several technologies to support learning, including web conferencing, web 2.0, e-textbooks, e-portfolios, software, generative artificial intelligence, simulation mannequins and wearables for point-of-view video, often in combination. Learning designs included flipped classroom with interactive case discussions ( Imran et al ., 2022 ), e-portfolios ( Javed et al ., 2023 ), didactic teaching followed by demonstrations of clinical skills on a simulation mannequin ( Zwaiman et al ., 2023 ), interdisciplinary case discussions to promote interprofessional learning ( Major et al ., 2023 ), patient panels to share narratives and perspectives ( Papanagnou et al ., 2023 ), and team-based learning ( Lee & Wong, 2023 ). In the four papers that included evaluation, participant reaction (feedback on learning activities) and/or learning (self-reported through surveys, with pre- vs post-training comparisons or at different timepoints during learning) were reported, corresponding to levels 1 and 2 of the commonly used outcomes-focused Kirkpatrick model of evaluation ( Allen et al ., 2022 ).…”

“… Imran and colleagues (2022) contributed to the growing body of literature on continuing professional development (CPD) delivered through collaborations amongst institutions across high, middle and low-income countries (HICs and LMICs) ( Hill et al ., 2021 ). They used web conferencing for post-graduate training and CPD in child and adolescent psychiatry in Pakistan, with the program collaboratively developed and adapted during delivery by experts from the United Kingdom, Belgium and Pakistan, as part of the World Psychiatric Association Volunteering Program.…”