Effect of education regarding treatment guidelines for schizophrenia and depression on the treatment behavior of psychiatrists: A multicenter study

Aim This study aims to examine the real‐world effectiveness of education regarding clinical guidelines for psychiatric disorders using ‘the Effectiveness of guidelines for dissemination and education in psychiatric treatment (EGUIDE)’ project. Methods The EGUIDE project is a nationwide prospective implementation study of two clinical practice guidelines, i.e., the Guideline for Pharmacological Therapy of Schizophrenia and the Treatment Guidelines for Major Depressive Disorders, in Japan. Between 2016 and 2019, 782 psychiatrists belonging to 176 hospitals with psychiatric wards participated in the project and attended lectures on clinical practice guidelines. The proportions of guideline‐recommended treatments in 7405 patients with schizophrenia and 3794 patients with major depressive disorder at participating hospitals were compared between patients under the care of psychiatrists participating in the project and those not participating in the project. Clinical and prescribing data on the patients discharged from April to September each year from participating hospitals of the project were also analyzed. Results The proportions of three quality indicators (antipsychotic monotherapy regardless of whether other psychotropics medication, antipsychotic monotherapy without other psychotropics and no prescription of anxiolytics or hypnotics) for schizophrenia were higher among participating psychiatrists than among nonparticipating psychiatrists. As similar results were obtained in major depressive disorder, the effectiveness of the project for the dissemination of guideline‐recommended treatment has been replicated. Conclusion This strategy of providing education regarding the clinical guidelines for psychiatric disorders was effective in improving the treatment‐related behavior of psychiatrists. The use of this education‐based strategy might contribute to resolving the mental health treatment gap.