Pilot Study of the MAP Curriculum for Psychotherapy Competencies in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

A pilot study evaluated the Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP) curriculum for enhancing the teaching of psychotherapy to child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) fellows. The curriculum consists of modules about psychotherapeutic procedures commonly used in evidence-based treatments for various childhood problems that foster assessment, treatment planning and reflective practice skills. Using curriculum coding, the researchers assessed the relevance of MAP's core elements to competencies communicated in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) CAP milestones. Feasibility, acceptability and learning outcomes were assessed after the curriculum's delivery to 12 CAP fellows at two sites, with instructional features individualized to faculty preferences and training programs. The curriculum was deemed relevant to 95% of the 21 ACGME CAP training subcompetencies. Successful delivery of the entire planned MAP curriculum across the two sites signaled feasibility. Acceptability was buttressed by positive feedback from CAP fellows, who reported significant increases in psychotherapy knowledge. Case review scores showed positive post-training MAP application to two patients, topping scores realized by other samples of mental health professionals. "MAP's versatility as a curriculum supports broader adoption, with continuing rigorous empirical evaluation," the authors conclude.

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