Levels of Knowledge and Training on-Common Psychiatric Disorders in Primary School Teachers

Aim: It is crucial to be able to implement programs to identify students with psychiatric problems and to permit early diagnosis, for the initial planning of treatment and for the preservation of mental health. Clinicians have long collaborated with schools and teachers to improve the mental health of children and adolescents. Schools are the places where children and adolescents spend most of their time as a group. From that perspective, school is the most appropriate environment for the provision of mental health services. The purpose of this study was to determine teachers' levels of knowledge concerning children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other disorders, to investigate levels of their knowledge regarding appropriate in-class approaches and to discuss the place of teacher education in the treatment of ADHD. Material and Methods: Once teachers had given informed consent, they were administered a questionnaire, after which they were briefed by child and adolescent psychiatrist concerning psychiatric problems frequently encountered in children. Finally, the questionnaire was re-applied. Results: To determine success levels in the questionnaire, correct scores were awarded 1 point. The mean pre-education score of the 129 participants in the study was11.4± 4.9 (8-16). Mean posteducation score was 15.9± 4.4 (10-20) and the difference between two scores was statistically significant (p=0.020). Conclusion: Teachers have an important role to play in the school with their children and to compare with other children as well as supporting them in the treatment process. Increasing teachers’ level of knowledge on this issue is very important