Assessment of the knowledge,attitudes, and practices among UNRWA health staff in Jordan concerning mental health programme pre-implementation: a cross-sectional study

Background

Mental health is a major public health priority, particularly among refugees worldwide. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) started to integrate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) into its primary health-care services in Jordan in late 2017. This baseline study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers among UNRWA health staff regarding the implementation of the MHPSS programme.

Methods

The UNRWA Health Programme conducted a cross-sectional study of a sample of 220 out of the 390 male and female doctors, dentists, nurses, and midwives who work at 16 of the 25 UNRWA health centres in Jordan during November, 2017. Individuals on duty at the health centres on the day of the survey were included. The 16 health centres were selected based on their size and accessibility to surveyors (reflecting proximity to Amman, and the size of population served). Of the selected health centres, seven were large, seven were medium, and two were small according to the UNRWA classification of health centres (based on the number of medical doctors). A validated self-administered questionnaire was used. Ethics approval was granted by the UNRWA Health Programme ethics committee, and informed written consent was obtained from all participants. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 22).

Findings

Of the participants, 73% (161 of 220) believed that their knowledge of MHPSS programmes was insufficient, with no significant difference (p=0·116) between different categories of staff. Furthermore, 88% (194 of 220) said that they needed more training, 67% (147 of 220) reported that the number of mental health cases is increasing, and 50% (110 of 220) that dealing with these cases is difficult. Reflecting on the past 12 months, 31% of staff (69 out of 220) reported meeting between one and ten children, and 45% (100 out of 220) reported meeting between one and ten adults suspected of having mental illnesses. The most suspected condition was depression (84%; 150 of 220), followed by epilepsy (64%; 140 of 220). The main perceived barriers to implementation included the limited availability of MHPSS policies (87%; 192 of 220), MH professionals (86%; 190 of 220), resources (86%; 189 out of 220), and lack of privacy (14%; 31 out of 220).

Interpretation

Most health staff had positive attitudes towards MHPSS programme implementation but felt they lacked the required knowledge. There is a need for training and clear technical guidelines. Perceived barriers to MHPSS programme implementation need to be tackled with a structured plan of action.

Funding

The UNRWA Health Programme, UNRWA Headquarters, Amman, Jordan.