Training community providers in prolonged exposure: outcomes of a French consultation programme.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France.
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Caen Normandy, Caen, France.
- 3Department of Psychology, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France.
- 4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- 5Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
Background: Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a first-line treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet its availability remains limited in France. To address this gap, a PE training programme was developed to build capacity among community mental health providers.Objectives: This study aims to examine the implementation of PE, changes in therapists' misconceptions, comfort about PTSD and knowledge regarding exposure therapy following training and to identify predictors of PE use at follow-up in a French sample.Method: Twelve 3-day PE trainings were delivered to a total of N = 200 clinicians in France between April 2023 and December 2024. Participants were offered six months of bimonthly group video consultation following the training. Assessments included pre-training, post-training and six-month follow-up surveys.Results: Clinician knowledge regarding PTSD, and comfort in treating PTSD increased significantly following training, while misconceptions about exposure therapy decreased. Satisfaction ratings were overall high across domains (e.g. training quality, expectations, and learning objectives). Among the 99 clinicians who completed the 6-month follow-up, 84% reported attending at least one PE-related session, and 48% had completed PE with at least one patient. Higher post-training perceived comfort in treating PTSD was associated with greater likelihood of implementation at 6 months (OR = 1.35; p = .049).Conclusion: PE training with follow-up consultation is feasible and well-received among French community providers. While clinician confidence improves significantly, additional systemic and logistical supports are needed to promote sustained implementation in routine care.
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BibTeX
@article{rascol2026training,
title = {{Training community providers in prolonged exposure: outcomes of a French consultation programme.}},
author = {Théo Rascol and Laurent Brodin and Pierre-André Gosselin and Delphine Avrillon and Noémie Dujardin and Céline Ponty and Bruna Gomes Lopes and Charles Tesnières and Barbara Rothbaum and Laura Charretier and Eric Bui},
journal = {European journal of psychotraumatology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/20008066.2026.2724779},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42904366},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Training community providers in prolonged exposure: outcomes of a French consultation programme.
AU - Théo Rascol
AU - Laurent Brodin
AU - Pierre-André Gosselin
AU - Delphine Avrillon
AU - Noémie Dujardin
AU - Céline Ponty
AU - Bruna Gomes Lopes
AU - Charles Tesnières
AU - Barbara Rothbaum
AU - Laura Charretier
AU - Eric Bui
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - European journal of psychotraumatology
DO - 10.1080/20008066.2026.2724779
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42904366
AB - Background: Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a first-line treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet its availability remains limited in France. To address this gap, a PE training programme was developed to build capacity among community mental health providers.Objectives: This study aims to examine the implementation of PE, changes in therapists' misconceptions, comfort about PTSD and knowledge regarding exposure therapy following training and to identify predictors of PE use at follow-up in a French sample.Method: Twelve 3-day PE trainings were delivered to a total of N = 200 clinicians in France between April 2023 and December 2024. Participants were offered six months of bimonthly group video consultation following the training. Assessments included pre-training, post-training and six-month follow-up surveys.Results: Clinician knowledge regarding PTSD, and comfort in treating PTSD increased significantly following training, while misconceptions about exposure therapy decreased. Satisfaction ratings were overall high across domains (e.g. training quality, expectations, and learning objectives). Among the 99 clinicians who completed the 6-month follow-up, 84% reported attending at least one PE-related session, and 48% had completed PE with at least one patient. Higher post-training perceived comfort in treating PTSD was associated with greater likelihood of implementation at 6 months (OR = 1.35; p = .049).Conclusion: PE training with follow-up consultation is feasible and well-received among French community providers. While clinician confidence improves significantly, additional systemic and logistical supports are needed to promote sustained implementation in routine care.
SN - 2000-8066
ER -