Alcohol-related brain damage: A mixed-method evaluation of an online awareness-raising programme for frontline care and support practitioners

Rebecca Ward, Gareth Roderique-Davies, Harriet Hughes, Robert Heirene, Simon Newstead, Bev John

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    1 Citation (Scopus)
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    Abstract

    Introduction: Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) is an umbrella term referring to the neurocognitive impairments caused by excessive and prolonged alcohol use and the associated nutritional deficiencies. This study evaluated the outcomes of an online research-informed training program for ARBD which aimed to improve client outcomes by promoting support staff's awareness and confidence in working with clients who may have (or who are at risk of developing) the condition. 

    Methods: Staff working within a large non-governmental non-profit housing organisation (n = 883) enrolled in the training program. Questionnaires were used pre- and post-training to collect self-reported awareness of ARBD and confidence in supporting individuals with the condition. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 staff members approximately 10 weeks post-completion of the program. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by employing qualitative content analysis. 

    Results: Findings from the questionnaires indicated a significant increase in all measures after completing the training program. Three main themes were developed based on the interview data: changes to awareness and understanding; professional practice; and training-specific characteristics. Participants reported changes in their ability to identify potential service users with ARBD and confidence in doing so. 

    Discussion and Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that online training programs can be effective in improving support staff's ability to identify ARBD, potentially leading an increase in signposting service users to relevant services. The research-informed nature of the training demonstrates that translating research findings directly to frontline workers can have a substantial impact and may improve outcomes for this client group.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)46-58
    Number of pages13
    JournalDrug and Alcohol Review
    Volume42
    Issue number1
    Early online date2022
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    The authors would like to thank the third-sector housing and support organisation who have been instrumental in the development and roll-out of the training program. The authors would also like to thank the support staff who participated in the evaluation interviews and provided valuable insight into their experiences. The authors are grateful to Alcohol Change UK and Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Julia Lewis and Dr Raman Sakhuja for their useful input and support in developing the training program. The authors are also very thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback provided on earlier versions of this paper.

    Funding Information:
    This work was supported by the Strategic Research Investment Fund and the project is being further supported by a grant from the Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Fund, both obtained from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2022 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

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