Training community providers in prolonged exposure: outcomes of a French consultation programme.

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.