With increasing media interest and public awareness and reports from North America regarding the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS; Reference Famy, Streissguth and UnisFamy et al, 1998), concerns are being raised locally as to the knowledge of mental healthcare professionals of this issue. Clinical work with this group suggested that the wider mental health community has limited knowledge of FAS as a condition, despite international figures suggesting a prevalence rate of 1% in the community (Reference O'LearyO’Leary, 2004). Hence one of us (R.A.S.M.) devised a brief questionnaire to determine mental health practitioners’ knowledge of the condition. The questionnaire was used at three local academic programmes attended by a mix of mental healthcare professionals.

Everyone (n=33) had heard of FAS as a condition but only five professionals felt able to recognise it. One person (a psychologist) considered FAS in the differential diagnosis and nine knew where to refer a person with FAS if the diagnosis was suspected or found. Only one individual with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) was known to those professionals attending the programmes.

These results are similar to those from other studies (Reference Nanson, Bolaria and SnyderNanson et al, 1995) and highlight the need for education in this area in order to guide UK practitioners in the recognition of the condition and what can be done to help affected individuals and their families. We believe there is an urgent need for resources to undertake this task.