Online training of Covid-19 infection prevention and control for healthcare workers in psychiatric institutes.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop a unique online infection prevention and control (IPC) training on Covid-19 for healthcare workers in psychiatric institutes in Japan and to examine its efficacy based on its impact on the knowledge, attitude, and confidence about IPC for Covid-19 among the healthcare workers. METHOD: This quasi-experimental study was conducted using online training on Covid-19 IPC for healthcare workers in various psychiatric institutes from April 2021 to March 2022. An online training video on Covid-19 IPC was developed. Voluntary healthcare workers in psychiatric institutes located in five prefectures in Japan were recruited to participate in this training. The participants then completed 30 min of online training and surveys about knowledge, attitude, and confidence were conducted pre, post, and three months after the training. The video training and surveys were contextually validated by the experts, but not by any previous study. RESULTS: A total of 224 participants were included, of which 108 (54.0%) were men. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) age and the mean occupational experience were 47.4 (9.5) and 18.0 (12.6) years, respectively. Among the participants, 190 (84.8%) completed the post-training, and 131 (58.5%) completed the three-month-later training surveys. The total score on the quizzes in the post-training (+ 31.1%, SD 15.7, p-value < 0.01) and three-month-later training (+ 14.9%, SD 16.8, p-value < 0.01) surveys had significantly increased from that in the pre-training survey. In contrast, the total score in the three-month-later training had significantly decreased from that in the post-training survey (-16.1%, SD 16.7, p-value < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Thirty minutes of online training about IPC for Covid-19 had improved knowledge, confidence, and attitude among psychiatric healthcare workers. Regular online training would help in preventing the transmission or formation of clusters of Covid-19 in psychiatric healthcare institutes.

Stigmatized attitudes of medical staff toward people who use drugs and their determinants in Japanese medical facilities specialized in addiction treatment.

AIM: Stigma within healthcare settings significantly impact the lives of people who use drugs (PWUD). Given the lack of quantitative data on stigma toward PWUD in healthcare settings and the unknown factors that contribute to it in the Japanese context, this study aimed to investigate the current status of stigma toward PWUD and its determinants. METHODS: We conducted a survey in five specialized addiction medical facilities across three prefectures in Japan. The survey included questions related to stigmatizing attitudes toward PWUD, knowledge about illicit drug use, and personal and professional interactions with PWUD. RESULTS: A substantial portion of respondents rejected the notion that drug addiction can be overcome through sheer willpower or attributed it solely to moral failings. However, the majority still considered them untrustworthy and viewing drug use as unacceptable and incomprehensible. Many respondents perceived PWUD as dangerous, despite the limited occurrence of hostile behavior from PWUD in clinical practice. A considerable proportion of respondents did not seek support for their own or their relatives' drug-related issues, and less than half had collaborated with recovered PWUD, which serves as potential indicators of reduced stigma. While healthcare professionals recognized that involving law enforcement does not contribute to the recovery of PWUD, a considerable number still believed it was necessary to report them to the authorities. CONCLUSION: Healthcare professionals in specialized addiction medical facilities demonstrate strong stigmatizing attitudes toward PWUD. Comprehensive educational programs and large-scale awareness campaigns are necessary to address and mitigate stigma in this context.

Factors influencing stigma among healthcare professionals towards people who use illicit drugs in Japan: A quantitative study.

Aim: Stigma among healthcare professionals toward people who use drugs (PWUDs) must be addressed for recovery. However, research on this topic is limited in Japan, therefore we developed a brand-new scale through coproduction with PWUDs to measure stigma and conducted a survey using the developed scale to examine what influences stigma towards PWUDs in Japanese healthcare settings. Methods: Based on interviews with PWUDs and their families, we developed a survey containing 24 questions on stigma toward PWUDs. The survey was sent to healthcare professionals working in the public sector. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to determine the factor construct. Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analyses with each factor of the stigma questions set as a dependent variable were conducted to discover the specific contribution of each variable to professionals' stigma. Results: The six factors suggested by the EFA showed a good fit, as confirmed by the CFA of the stigma questions. GLMM discovered that "currently providing treatment services to PWUDs," "having PWUDs close to themselves," and "experiencing violence by the client when providing treatment services" were significantly associated with higher stigma scale scores. "Experience in receiving support," "attending self-help groups," and "using peer-based recovery support with PWUDs" were significantly associated with lower stigma scale scores. Conclusion: The scale coproduced with local PWUDs can be a reliable tool to measure the stigma PWUDs face in Japan. Further results indicate that interaction with recovered PWUDs should be promoted.