GauthamM Sukumar’s research while affiliated with Government of Karnataka, India and other places

Background: Yuva Spandana (YS) is a youth mental health promotion program implemented across all 30 districts of Karnataka. Yuva Parivarthakas (YPs - youth change agents) are trained to provide mental health promotion services to any "youth with issues" through Yuva Spandana Kendras (guidance centers) situated within district stadiums across Karnataka. Aim of the study was to evaluate the change (comparing before and after training) in different learning domains (cognitive - knowledge, affective - attitude, and psychomotor - practice) among trainees (YPs) attending YS training. Methods: Quasiexperimental study design was utilized for this study. A semistructured interview schedule was developed and used before and after the training. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The difference in change of mean score was assessed using the paired t-test. The shift in the proportion of trainees post-training in the three domains was assessed using McNemar's test. Results: The mean (±SD) age of trainees was 27.5 ± 3.3 years. Majority of them were males (63.8%), had completed bachelor's degree (53.4%), and were residing in rural Karnataka (77.7%). The knowledge and attitude scores significantly improved (P < 0.001) post-training, without significant improvement in practical skills. Conclusion: It is recommended that future training programs need to be focused on creating opportunities to YPs in order to increase their practical skills to work with youth having issues.