| Abstract: In response to the increasing demand on pediatricians to screen and treat depression in primary care, a 90-minute curriculum was developed to train pediatricians to conduct a suicide risk assessment and deliver a brief behavior activation (BA) protocol to adolescents who screen positive for depression in primary care. Prior research demonstrates increased confidence among professionals who receive active, hands-on training (Fallucco, Conlon, Gale, Constantino, & Glowinski, 2012). Thus, the curriculum was developed using Behavioral Skills Training (BST), involving instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback to promote mastery (Ward-Horner & Sturmey, 2012). A total of 54 providers participated in the training and completed pre-training and post-training surveys. Results from paired sample t-tests indicated significant increases in provider-reported comfort managing depression (t (53) = -5.40, p<.001), perceptions of feasibility in managing depression during medical visits (t (53) = -4.50, p<.001), and knowledge about depression management (t (53) = -6.31, p<.001). Providers strongly agreed the training provided information they will apply to patient care (M = 5.52, SD = .64) and that feedback during roleplays was helpful (M = 5.48, SD = .75). BST was found to be an effective and acceptable strategy for training medical professionals in primary care. |