Assessing Knowledge and Confidence in Caring for Autistic Patients: An Observational Cross-sectional Study of Maltese General Practitioners and Psychiatrists.

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Camilleri, E., Borg, N., Testa, L., & Grech, A. (2025). Assessing Knowledge and Confidence in Caring for Autistic Patients: An Observational Cross-sectional Study of Maltese General Practitioners and Psychiatrists. In International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees. European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees. https://doi.org/10.55922/001c.143811

Publication date: 27 Oct 2025 Added to AutiHub: 7 Aug 2026 Type: Book chapter Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
4
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 4 (25.0%)
  1. Emma Camilleri
  2. Nicole Borg *
  3. Louisa Testa
  4. Anton Grech

Abstract

Introduction In Malta, general practitioners (GPs) are often the primary point of contact for autistic individuals. Psychiatrists also play a significant role. While international studies have conducted comprehensive research, little is known about the autism related knowledge and expertise of Maltese GPs and psychiatrists. Methods An online self-report cross-sectional survey targeting GPs and psychiatrists in Malta was conducted. The survey contained demographic questions, a 22-item true/false Knowledge of Autism Scale, and a 14-item self-efficacy scale. A total of 98 participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Data was analyzed descriptively, with correlational analyses carried out. Results Psychiatrists outperformed GPs in knowledge (mean=89.2% vs. 83.1%, p=0.0003) and self-efficacy (mean=6.7 vs. 5.7, p=0.0003). GP scores correlated positively with experience in psychiatry and autism-related training. Self-efficacy scores were higher among psychiatrists than GPs, with training and experience in psychiatry positively correlating with GPs’ self-efficacy. No correlation was found between having an autistic relative and autism knowledge. Discussion Maltese doctors exhibit strong autism knowledge yet variable confidence, especially lower in regards adults, and may overestimate actual clinical performance. The absence of specific predictors for psychiatrists may be due to sample bias. The significant intra-group variation in both knowledge and self-efficacy may indicate that current teaching is insufficient. Conclusion Targeted structured training addressing autistic adults, gender-specific presentations, extended psychiatry experience, and further local research may lead to improved patient outcomes. When paired with adult diagnostic services and integrated care pathways, this approach could significantly strengthen lifelong support for autistic individuals.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 28 Oct 2026 01:01.

Cited references
19
With a DOI
15
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
4
3 / 19 (15.8%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 19 (10.5%)
References with detected author names
17 / 19 (89.5%)
Without detected author names
2
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
4
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
2
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
59
From DOI or external metadata
59
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
38 / 59 (64.4%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 21 / 59 (35.6%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
13 / 59 (22.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 13 / 38 (34.2%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 6 / 43 (14.0%).
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