BELIEFS AND EXPECTATIONS ABOUT ALCOHOL USE: EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF TRAINING IN BRIEF INTERVENTIONS Lopes, Jane Moraes; Furtado, Erikson Felipe Mental Health Post-Graduated Program School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo/ Brazil BACKGROUND: Strategies of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) have been considered effective to perform the diagnosis and the prevention of damage caused by alcohol. Attitudes, beliefs and expectations of health professionals (HP) in relation to alcohol use have influence over the effect of these new proposals. Regarding the effect of attitudes of HP over the effectiveness of prevention strategies about alcohol use, the Program of Integrated Action for Prevention and Attention to Alcohol and Drug Use in the Community (PAI-PAD) has offered training based on the World Health Organization (WHO) model to promote the implementation of the SBIRT. AIM: Evaluate effect of training in brief interventions about beliefs and expectations about alcohol use METHODS: Design: observational, cross-sectional and comparative study Sample: 88 professionals of primary care, from Ribeirão Preto and region, who agreed to participate following ethical procedures, trained by PAIPAD, from 2003 to 2006 Data collection: individual questionnaires applied before and after the training (from 4 to 6 months later) Instruments: - Socio-demographic inventory - Test of Knowledge (TK) about alcohol and brief interventions (BI) - Inventory of Positive Expectations and Beliefs about Alcohol (IECPA) - Inventory of estimates on the use of the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) and SBIRT FINDINGS: A trend toward positive correlation (Spearman Test) was found between: - the acquisition of knowledge and changes in IECPA (p =0,095) - the level of pre-training knowledge and estimates of conducting SBIRTs (p = 0,082) - estimates of implementing AUDIT and the time (p = 0,009) Variations of IECPA correlated positively with the expectations of applying SBIRT (Nonparametric Chi-Square: p = 0,053) With respect to the TK, the intermediate level of schooling (complete and incomplete) had the lowest score . The highest changes in IECPA were seen in the highest professional level (complete and incomplete). The professionals of higher-level occupation had higher positive changes in knowledge and higher reduction in scores of IECPA than workers of technical level .   D ISCUSSION: Positive beliefs and expectations about alcohol use decreased after training. and   interfered positively in preventive attitudes of professionals. The strategy of training offered by PAIPAD was effective, promoted changes in beliefs and expectations of the team about alcohol use, interfered  positively in the preventive attitudes of trained professionals with the patients.   Psychiatry professor – PAI-PAD´s coordinator FMRP-USP – Depto. Neurologia, Psquiatria e Psicologia Médica 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP - Brazil E-mail: efurtado@fmrp.usp.br / Homepage: www.fmrp.usp.br Note: If requested the reference list could be provided EFFECT OF TRAINING IN BRIEF INTERVENTIONS ABOUT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ALCOHOL AND BRIEF INTERVENTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS AND BELEIFS ABOUT ALCOHOL BEFORE AFTER TK Mean 4,10 5,57 Median 4 6 SD 1,53 1,74 Min/Max 2/8 1/9 IECPA 93,45 78,74 79,5 68 40,89 26,83 61/253 61/141 After the training, the score (average) was higher on the TK about alcohol and BI, while the IECPA score (average) decreased. CORRELATION BETWEEN MÉDIAS PRÉ/PÓS* TK z = - 4,138 p ≤ 0,000 IECPA z = - 4,936 p ≤ 0,000 *Wilcoxon Test