Beyond trauma: knowledge and training gaps among mental health professionals in the aftermath of October 7th 2023

Israel experienced a sharp increase in the prevalence of trauma-related disorders after October 7th 2023. Although efforts have been made to train mental health professionals in trauma-related care, it is not clear whether this training is sufficient to address the multifaced and complex needs of patients inflicted by trauma. This study aimed to assess mental health professionals’ subjective experience of trauma-related knowledge as well as their training needs across trauma-related domains. Mental health professionals (N = 264) completed an online survey assessing their perceived knowledge of trauma-related diagnoses and their training priorities for trauma-related treatment. The sample included psychologists, social workers, art therapists, and psychiatrists working in the public and private sectors. Mental health professionals were more knowledgeable regarding posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, MD = 0.98 to 2.27, p < .001), however, reported significantly greater needs for training focusing on treatment selection for PTSD (MD = 0.41 to 0.89, p ≤ .01), on routine outcome monitoring (MD = 0.56 to 0.91, p ≤ .005), and on identifying predictors of PTSD prognosis (MD = 0.40 to 0.88, p ≤ .02). Participation in trauma-based training moderated the differences in reported knowledge (F = 2.75, p = 0.023, η2 = 0.11), with past training leading to greater subjective knowledge in most trauma-related domains (MD 0.27 to 0.81, p ≤ 0.02). Mental health professionals report of knowledge gaps regarding personalizing treatment approach to PTSD manifestations, as well as treatment management and prognosis. Decision-makers should focus training efforts on treatment personalization and routine outcome monitoring to improve the quality of mental healthcare in Israel.