Can staff training reduce behavioural problems in residential care for the elderly mentally ill?

The effect of a brief in‐service training programme on the psychosocial management of behavioural disturbance in residential care is described. Although the incidence of problematic behaviour did not change 3 months after training, staff in the experimental homes reported a significant improvement in their management of problematic behaviour, as compared to the control home. However, these effects were not maintained a year later. The importance of post‐training supervision and the sociocultural context of the home in the maintenance of psychosocial intervention in residential settings is discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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