NCT02158871

Impact Study of Workplace Mental Health Education on Early Intervention for Healthcare Workers With Mental Health Issues

Beyond Silence: Comparing the Impact of Contact-based Education With Mental Health Literacy Training on Early Intervention for Healthcare Workers With Mental Health Issues

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 216 (actual)
• Sponsor: McMaster University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: —
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the impact of a new workplace-based mental health peer education program with standardized mental health literacy training on early intervention and support for healthcare employees with mental health issues. Participants are healthcare workers who volunteer to participate in one of the two twelve-hour group education programs. It is hypothesized that the customized "Beyond Silence" peer education program led by trained staff members with personal experience of mental ill-health will be more effective in reducing the stigma associated with help-seeking and help-outreach regarding mental ill-health in the workplace. The comparison group is a standardized mental health literacy training program that has been widely implemented in both Canada and around the world. Change in help-seeking/help-outreach behavior, mental health knowledge and beliefs of participants will be assessed at three-month intervals; before, after and three months following the educational intervention.

Detailed description

The target sample of 200 employee participants will be recruited from two healthcare organizations. The Beyond Silence program is based on principles of contact-based education, and will include six 1.5-2 hour in-person sessions conducted every other week, interspersed with five online resource sessions. The Mental Health First Aid training is a standardized, 12-hour evidence-based mental health literacy training program that has been implemented in a range of national and international settings. This program is typically offered over two full days.

Conditions

• Mental Health Impairment

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Beyond Silence	Pilot data from initial phases of the project and best practice principles in contact based education and adult learning theory informed curriculum design. The six in-person sessions use workplace-based vignettes to prompt reflection and discussion, build mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and promote communication and coping skill development. The virtual sessions use a secure online discussion board for participants to explore relevant online resources. All sessions will be co-led by trained peer educators; employees who have personally experienced mental ill health and recovery and are viewed as credible leaders within the organization. They will be recruited and trained to effectively teach the content, share personal experiences, and facilitate discussion.
BEHAVIORAL	Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)	MHFA is a standardized, twelve-hour educational program designed to teach participants how to recognize the early warning signs of mental illness, how to provide initial help to someone in a mental health crisis, and how to support people who are developing mental health problems. It is an evidence-based approach that originated in Australia, but is being implemented across Canada, under the leadership of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Leadership of the MHFA will be provided by an employee in each organization who has been trained through the 5-day national MHFA instructor training program. The instructor does not share any personal experiences regarding mental health issues.

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-05-01
• Primary completion: 2016-03-01
• Completion: 2016-03-01
• First posted: 2014-06-09
• Last updated: 2016-03-17

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Canada