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Background. Working with people with mental illness is very challenging and mental health workers can have a significant impact on the mental status of their patients. Few studies have been published that describe training programmes for this staff group. Aim. This paper aims to describe and evaluate a training programme for generic mental health workers used in the context of a residential unit for ‘difficult to place’ mentally ill patients. Method. The staff training programme was adapted from a previous programme showing good efficacy. It was conducted over 10 sessions and addressed a wide range of issues relating to the management of mentally ill patients, with the use of a variety of teaching methods. Twenty-nine generic mental health workers participated in the programme. The impact of the programme was examined using a knowledge questionnaire and a semi-structured questionnaire exploring the range and use of management strategies by staff members. Results. Comparison of pre- and post-training measures indicated that the training programme increased staff knowledge of schizophrenia and the use of certain management skills, in particular, systematic strategies to effect change. This included increased use of structured programmes with patients. Conclusion. The training programme was effective in increasing knowledge and skills of staff and could be used with a variety of psychiatric staff. There are numerous limitations to this study, in particular the poor attendance rates which are likely to have decreased the impact of the programme.

Working with people with mental illness is very challenging and mental health workers can have a significant impact on the mental status of their patients. Few studies have been published that describe training programmes for this staff group.This paper aims to describe and evaluate a training programme for generic mental health workers used in the context of a residential unit for 'difficult to place' mentally ill patients.The staff training programme was adapted from a previous programme showing good efficacy. It was conducted over 10 sessions and addressed a wide range of issues relating to the management of mentally ill patients, with the use of a variety of teaching methods. Twenty-nine generic mental health workers participated in the programme. The impact of the programme was examined using a knowledge questionnaire and a semi-structured questionnaire exploring the range and use of management strategies by staff members.Comparison of pre- and post-training measures indicated that the training programme increased staff knowledge of schizophrenia and the use of certain management skills, in particular, systematic strategies to effect change. This included increased use of structured programmes with patients.The training programme was effective in increasing knowledge and skills of staff and could be used with a variety of psychiatric staff. There are numerous limitations to this study, in particular the poor attendance rates which are likely to have decreased the impact of the programme.

The presence of expressed emotion (EE) in five community care facilities was investigated and levels of high EE were found in some staff-client relationships. A training programme was developed drawing on a variety of research findings and based on a successful community psychiatric nurse training package for work with families. Its aims were to enable community mental health workers to increase their knowledge about schizophrenia and repertoire of strategies for managing a variety of difficulties in addition to decreasing levels of EE present in their relationships with clients. A small but non-significant increase in knowledge was achieved, in addition to increases in the use of strategies aimed at effecting change and involving the use of resources. No significant changes in EE levels were reported.

The association between expressed emotion and the outcome of schizophrenia is well established, and the efficacy of family work for schizophrenia has been demonstrated. Mental health nurses are an expanding group in mental health service provision but their training does not include family work. Although there is some evidence that training mental health nurses in schizophrenia family work increases their knowledge of, and changes their attitudes towards schizophrenia, very little research has been conducted in this area. This paper replicates a previous study, and investigates whether mental health nurses can change their attitude and beliefs, and increase their knowledge about schizophrenia. Knowledge increased and attitudes changed during the initial period (3 months), and the gains were maintained throughout the 9-month course. However, in order to incorporate the skills learnt into their routine practice, mental health nurses will continue to need ongoing recognition, support, and enthusiasm from colleagues and managers.