The First Massive Open Online course of the European Psychiatric Association on Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy

Introduction: Psychiatric trainees lack psychotherapy training. In 2018, the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) offered a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), "Introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy". We will present an overview of the course participants and engagement metrics, and propose improvements for future courses. Methods: Non-identifiable participant information was collected through a welcome survey. Additional data were internally extracted, including demographic information, interests, educational background, learning objectives, completion and satisfaction rate. Engagement strategy questionnaires were distributed and screen time calculated. Results: There were 7.116 enrollments, 1.504 completed the welcome survey and 954 (13%) the overall course. The three most represented countries were: Greece (18%), France (8%) and the UK (7%). Psychologists and psychology students represented 41% of the initial participants, psychiatrists and psychiatry trainees 33%. Conclusion: The MOOC achieved its primary goals and received a wide acceptance. The dropout rate was lower than similar online courses. Improvements and amendments are suggested. The EPA funded the course. Lara le Loan was funded by the EPA and was not involved in the writing and interpretation of the survey findings. peerReviewed acceptedVersion