Changes in midwives' knowledge and confidence in practice before and after training related to cognitive behavioral therapy

Abstract

Purpose Mental health problems such as postpartum depression have been recognized as a public health problem not only in Japan but also in other countries. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the methods to support expectant and nursing mothers with mental health problems. In this study, we conducted a web-based training course for mid-wives to acquire basic knowledge of CBT and aimed to clarify the changes in knowledge of CBT and confidence in CBT practice before and after the training. Methods We conducted a web-based survey of midwives who participated in the training before and after the training. The survey consisted of participant characteristics, a knowledge test with 13 items about basic knowledge of CBT and 18 items about knowledge of perinatal mental health, totaling 31 items, with a score range of 0 to 31 points; the confidence in CBT practice consisted of 8 items regarding CBT skills, with a 4-point Likert scale and a score range of 8 to 32 points. A correspondenc