551 - Closing the Mental Health Gap for Primary Care Physicians in Pediatric Community Health Centers

Poster Number: 551
Publication Number: 551.1762

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health (MH) care needs increased in youth, requiring management by pediatricians.

Objective: This project utilized a survey to inform the development of an electronic educational (e-Ed) resource to aid community pediatric practitioners in the MH treatment of patients in Washington, DC and the surrounding areas.

Design/Methods: We administered a questionnaire assessing provider referral practices, comfort with identification/treatment of commonly encountered MH conditions, and barriers to addressing them among practitioners at two community-based pediatric clinics in Southeast, DC. Frequency analyses and a binomial test of proportions were performed to assess response trends and statistically significant deviances in educational preferences.

Results: 44 providers (89%) completed the pre-intervention survey (Table 1). 23 (52%) encountered MH concerns daily, 37 (84%) felt their role was to identify/manage mild to moderate MH disorders, and only 11 (22%) felt comfortable initiating MH treatment. ADHD (72%) and depression/mood disorders (35%) were most commonly encountered, and on-site referral to MH services was the preferred management (93%). 39 providers (89%) acknowledged insufficient training or experience in managing MH concerns, and 40 (91%) felt additional MH training was necessary with statistically significant preference for resources incorporating treatment/diagnosis algorithms, medication reference guides, and didactic sessions (p < 0.05) (Table 2).

We developed an e-Ed resource integrating best practice management guidelines and recorded virtual didactic sessions focused on ADHD, depression, and anxiety, led by a MH specialist accessible through an online platform.

32 providers (70%) completed the post-intervention survey (Table 1). ADHD (42%), anxiety/depression (23%), and sleep disorders (26%) were most commonly encountered. 25% utilized the resource; scheduling conflicts were the most common barrier. 100% reported insufficient access to on-site MH providers and inadequate MH training, highlighting the need for further MH training for pediatric practitioners (Table 3). Next steps for this interdisciplinary study will involve expansion of mental health topics to include sleep disorders, disruptive behavior/aggression, and PTSD.

Conclusion(s): This e-Ed resource was developed as part of a multi-phase intervention and will serve as a model for delivery of mental health education in primary care to increase patient access to mental health resources and contribute to the innovative developments of mental health integration in pediatrics.