Managing Minds at Work: A Feasibility Pilot Trial

Summary

This feasibility pilot cluster RCT aims to pilot and feasibility test an online training toolkit (Managing Minds at Work) for line managers to develop their knowledge and confidence in preventing work-related stress and promoting mental health at work. The setting is work organisations of different types and sectors across the Midlands region of the United Kingdom. Participants must have direct managerial or supervisor responsibilities for 3 or more staff members.

The intervention consists of five modules of online learning: Looking after your own Mental Health; Designing and managing work to promote mental well-being; Management competencies to prevent work-related stress; Developing a psychologically safe work environment; Having conversations about mental health at work. Each module includes some descriptive content, interactive elements and opportunities for reflections, and take between 20-30 minutes to complete.

Participating organisations will be allocated to either the intervention or control arm. A waiting list control will be used, with line managers in the control organisations starting the intervention 3-months after baseline.

Data will be collected through online surveys with the intervention group at baseline, immediately post-intervention (around 6 weeks post baseline), 3-months follow-up and 6-months follow-up. Control group will complete the online surveys at baseline and 3-months (as they start the intervention) and immediately after completing the intervention. As a feasibility pilot study, analysis will be focused on acceptability of the intervention, feasibility of recruitment, retention and data collection, and estimating parameters for a larger trial. The primary outcome measure is line managers' confidence to create a mentally healthy workplace. The secondary outcomes line manger mental health knowledge, line manager workplace mental health literacy, line manager self-rating of behaviour. In addition, the direct reports of line managers will be invited to participate to assess the feasibility of collecting the outcome data related to: employee well-being, employee rating of line manager behaviour, employee sickness absence, employee productivity.

A process evaluation will be conducted to assess intervention acceptability, usability, implementation and effectiveness. Qualitative data will be collected via module feedback forms and in-depth interviews with a sample of line managers from the intervention arm and stakeholders.

Conditions

• Occupational Stress
• Occupational Neurosis
• Mental Health Wellness 1
• Absence
• Sickness Behavior

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Managing Minds at Work Online Training

The intervention will be an online, interactive training course which will include evidence-based material, guidance, and practical exercises. The training will cover the following topics, presented as a series of independent, stand-alone modules: Module one: Looking after your own mental health Module two: Designing and managing work to promote mental well-being Module three: Management Competencies that Prevent Work-related Stress Module four: Developing a Psychologically Safe Workplace Module five: Having conversations about mental health at work Each module will be designed to take between 20 and 30 minutes to complete. Participants will be permitted by their employer to complete the training within their work time. The training is self-led, so each participant can progress through each module at their own pace and at a time that suits them.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institute of Mental Health Nottingham

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Warwick

  collaborator OTHER

• Loughborough University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Nottingham

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Louise Thomson, PhD · University of Nottingham

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-10-20

Primary Completion

2023-05-31

Completion

2023-06-30

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations