Can an interactive e-learning training package improve the understanding of personality disorder within mental health professionals?
| Published date | 12 March 2018 |
| Pages | 124-134 |
| Date | 12 March 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-03-2017-0023 |
| Author | Gary Lamph,Mark Sampson,Debra Smith,Gary Williamson,Mark Guyers |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Mental health education |
Can an interactive e-learning training
package improve the understanding of
personality disorder within mental health
professionals?
Gary Lamph, Mark Sampson, Debra Smith, Gary Williamson and Mark Guyers
Abstract
Purpose –Personality disorder is reported to elicit strong emotional responses and negative attitudes in
mental health staff (Bodner et al., 2015). The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the design and
development of a co-produced e-learning training package for personality disorder awareness and an
evaluation of its effectiveness. This study was carried out to explore if e-learning is an effective mode of
training delivery for raising personality disorder awareness.
Design/methodology/approach –The e-learning was uniquely developed by subject matter experts
working in co-production with people with lived experience. Self-reported measures were completed at three
separate intervals to evaluate the effectiveness of the training: at pre-, post- and three-month follow up.
Quantitative data were collected via these questionnaires.
Findings –The results from this evaluation show that e-learning is an effective mode of delivery for raising the
awareness of personality disorder among mental health professionals, achieving similar outcomes to those
reported following face-to-ace training.
Research limitations/implications –Attrition at follow-upphase was high which was consistent with other
similar studies. The evaluation was led by the lead contributors and in the geographical area of its
development. The study was relatively small and the participants were self-selected, therefore findings should
be treated with caution.
Practical implications –E-learning can provide flexible training to compliment and act as an alternative to
face-to-face personality disorder training. E-learning may provide an alternative refresher course to
knowledge and understanding framework or other face-to-face methods. Co-produced training can be
mirrored within an e-learning programme, careful planning to ensure the service user voice is heard and that
their lived experience is embraced is required.
Originality/value –This is the first evaluation of a co-produced e-learning only personality disorder
awareness training. It is also the first paper to carry out a review of the published evaluations of
personality awareness training in the UK with comparisons explored across the studies.
Keywords E-Learning, Personality disorder, Co-production
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Mental health services have seen a significant increase in mental health needs since 1993 (Mental
Health Networks National Confederation, 2011). Although the prevalence of borderline or
antisocial personality disorder has not increased in the general population, the prevalence of
personality difficulties is significantly higher with up to 72 per cent of the general population
reporting personality difficulties (Yang et al., 2010). Mental health services are a seeing an
increase in people with personality-related difficulties with many having problems consistent with
longstanding difficulties in coping and therefore many will be meeting the diagnosis criteria for a
Received 31 March 2017
Revised 14 August 2017
Accepted 24 November 2017
The authors gratefully
acknowledge all the contributing
experts by Experience members
(5 Boroughs Partnership NHS
Foundation Trusts Involvement
Scheme), The PD video film group,
and all contributing subject matter
experts from neighbouring
NHS Trusts.
Gary Lamph is a Lecturer in
Mental Health at the School of
Nursing Midwifery and Social
Work, University of Salford,
Manchester, UK.
Mark Sampson is based at
5 Boroughs Partnership
NHS Foundation Trust,
St Helens, UK.
Debra Smith is a Research
Assistant at the Institute of
Global Health, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Gary Williamson is based at
Higher Level Learning,
Manchester, UK.
Mark Guyers is based at
5 Boroughs Partnership
NHS Foundation Trust,
St Helens, UK.
PAGE124
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THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
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VOL. 13 NO. 2 2018, pp.124-134, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228 DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-03-2017-0023
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