The Impact of Mental Health Leadership on Teamwork in Healthcare Organizations: A Serial Mediation Study

Background: There is compelling evidence to suggest that leadership behaviour and teamwork are critical success factors in healthcare organisations facing increasingly complex demands and limited resources. Effective teamwork is essential to deliver high-quality care, requiring integrating different professionals in the healthcare sector. Leaders play a significant role in facilitating teamwork by managing conflicts and promoting cooperation among team members. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of leadership in supporting the mental health and well-being of team members. Methods: A cross-lagged research design was used to examine the relationship between mental health-specific (MHS) leadership and teamwork. Participants were 118 healthcare professionals (76.3% female;44.9% aged between 45 and 54 years old). Results: A serial mediation model was confirmed, showing an indirect effect of mental health leadership on teamwork through interpersonal conflict and cooperation. Conclusions: Effective (MHS) leadership can positively impact the teamwork of healthcare professionals, particularly during times of crisis.

A multi-component curriculum to promote teachers' mental health: Findings from the PROMEHS program

In the last two years, a growing number of studies have focused on the promotion of students' mental health to address the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, less studies have been conducted on sustaining teachers' mental health which has been affected by the sudden changes in online teaching and the difficulties in keeping and building relationship with students. Even before the pandemic, teaching has long been recognised as one of the most challenging occupations characterized by high levels of stress. Although the research highlighted the key role of mental health promotion among teachers, there is still a lack of programs enhancing teachers' wellbeing. This study examined the impact of the PROMEHS program, a school-based curriculum, on teachers' mental health. A total of 687 teachers participated in the study. Applying a preand post-training study design with experimental and waiting list groups, teachers were evaluated in social and emotional learning, resilience, and self-efficacy. The results showed that there was a significant improvement in all competences of the teachers in the experimental group compared to those in the waiting list group. The paper discusses the implications of the findings with recommendations for further studies in the area.

Global utilization of online information for substance use disorder: An infodemiological study of Google and Wikipedia from 2004 to 2022.

INTRODUCTION: The increasing number of people who use drugs (PWUDs) can be attributed to the rising online sales of drugs and other related substances. Information on drugs and drug markets has also become easily accessible in web-search engines and social media. Aside from providing direct care, nurses have essential roles in preventing substance use disorder. These roles include health education, liaison, and researcher. Thus, nurses must examine and utilize the Internet, where information and transactions related to these substances are increasing. DESIGN/METHODS: This study utilized an infodemiological design in exploring the worldwide information utilization for substance use disorder. Data were gathered from Google Trends and Wikimedia Pageview. The data included relative search volumes (RSV), top and rising related queries and topics, and Wikipedia page views between 2004 and 2022. After describing the data, autoregressive integrated mean averaging (ARIMA) models were used to predict future utilization of online information from Google and Wikipedia. RESULTS: Google trends ranked 37 countries based on the search volumes for substance use disorder. Ethiopia, Finland, the United States, Kenya, and Canada have the highest RSVs, while the lowest-ranked country is Turkey, followed by Mexico, Spain, Japan, and Indonesia. Google searches for substance use disorder-related information increased by more than 900% between 2004 and 2022. In addition, Wikipedia page views for substance use disorder-related information increased by almost 200% between 2015 and 2022. Based on the ARIMA models, RSVs and page views are predicted to increase by about 150% and 120% by December 2025. Top and rising search-related topics and queries revealed that the public increasingly utilized online information to understand specific substances and the possible mental health comorbidities related to substance use disorders. Their recent concerns revolved around diagnostics, specific substances, and specific disorders. CONCLUSION: The Internet can be of paradoxical use in substance use disorder. It has been previously reported to be increasingly used in drug trades, contributing to the increasing prevalence of substance use disorder. Likewise, the present study's findings revealed that it is increasingly utilized for substance use disorder-related information. Thus, nurses and other healthcare professionals should ensure that online information regarding substance use disorders is accurate and up-to-date. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurse informaticists can form and lead Internet- and social-media-based health teams that perform national infodemiological investigations to assess online information. In doing so, they can inform, expand, and contextualize ehealth substance use education and strengthen the accessibility and delivery of substance use healthcare. In addition, public health nurses can collaborate to engage patients and communities in identifying harmful substance use disorder information online and creating culturally-appropriate messages that will correct misinformation and improve ehealth literacy, specifically in substance use disorder.

Recent policy developments in promotion and prevention: a scoping review of national plans in Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales

Objective: Mental health promotion and primary prevention have been evident in government policies in recent decades and this focus may also be visible in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there has yet to be a review of promotion and prevention in current mental health plans in relatively high-income countries with small populations. The objective of this review was to analyse recent government mental health plans in relatively high-income countries with small populations in order to compare and contrast their plans on promotion and prevention. Method: The review focussed on mental health policies, strategies or action plans published in English between 2017 and 2020 in Finland, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The research team developed an analytical framework for the review based on online interviews with policy and mental health experts and WHO guidance. Individual plans were then reviewed against the policy framework to produce an analysis in table form which provided the basis for a narrative discussion of developments. Results: There is evidence of attention in current mental health plans to 'whole of population' mental health and prevention which suggests a consensus on the need for action at this end of the spectrum. The extent of commitments to prevention and to reducing inequalities in mental health varies and is evidenced by commitments to cross-departmental structures for action on mental health and dedicated actions to reduce inequalities. Discussion: The results of this review can help to inform the development of national mental health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Advances in Mental Health is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Experiences of Every Mind Matters, Public Health England's adult mental health literacy campaign: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: Every Mind Matters (EMM) is a publicly funded health campaign, launched in England in 2019, to equip adults to look after their mental health, and that of others, by offering online information about common problems: anxiety, low mood, sleep, and stress. This study is one component of an independent evaluation of EMM conducted by the NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit. Its aim is to explore individuals' experiences of the EMM campaign and website. METHODS: Four researchers, including three with lived experience of using mental health services, conducted 20, one-off, semi-structured, online interviews with a range of adult participants, including a sample of EMM users and a purposively recruited sub-sample known to have severe or long-term mental health conditions. A codebook thematic analysis was undertaken, and four main themes were identified. FINDINGS: There was an expectation from the name Every Mind Matters that its advice would address everyone. Almost all participants had experience of mental distress and looked to EMM for help with a current problem for themselves. All participants were complimentary about the EMM website and found it to be user-friendly (theme 1) and personalised (theme 2) especially the interactive feature Your Mind Plan quiz which responds with suggested actions to improve wellbeing and follows up with reminder emails. A few participants found the website information and/or Mind Plan suggestions to be life changing. Some participants wanted EMM to better acknowledge the contexts in which they live (theme 3) such as the limitations of health conditions and health services, and difficulties of crowded housing, social policy, and climate change. Many participants would like EMM to do more (theme 4), offer more interactivity, more choice, more information about available treatments, and more stratified advice to cover more severe mental health conditions. CONCLUSION: EMM is available to all, including people with common or severe mental disorders. In the context of overwhelmed mental health services, people with severe mental illness expect more from EMM than advice about common problems. EMM could build on its success by extending its remit to address a wider range of needs so that everyone is included.

The impact of an organizational-level mindfulness-based intervention on workplace social capital and psychological safety: A qualitative content analysis.

Background: Through the past decades, the mental health of the European population has been continuously declining. Social relations in various spheres of life, including workplace settings, have been shown to impact mental health. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been found effective in enhancing well-being, and reducing perceived stress, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Research into mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in workplace settings has shown that these interventions may positively affect workplace outcomes, such as interpersonal relations. However, research regarding the organizational impacts of MBIs is still nascent. The objective of this study was to investigate how an organizational-level mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) including a workplace-adapted MBSR programme may impact workplace social capital and psychological safety. Methods: Four small and medium-sized private companies were included in this study, representing 368 employees and managers. The intervention consisted of three steps: 1. Mandatory participation in introductory sessions on mental health and mindfulness, 2. Voluntary participation in a 10-week workplace-adapted MBSR programme, and 3. A workshop for selected employee representatives and managers on further implementation of mindfulness. Data was collected using pre and post-intervention focus group interviews. In total, 27 interviews including 76 respondents were conducted. Verbatim transcription was performed. Data was analyzed using deductive content analysis with theoretical frameworks for social capital and psychological safety. Results: The analysis resulted in three main categories: 1. Social capital (1.1. bonding social capital, 1.2. bridging social capital, 1.3. linking social capital), 2. Psychological safety, and 3. Emergent theme: The role of lockdown on the perceived organizational impact of a workplace MBI. The greatest impact was found relating to the bridging social capital, i.e., social capital between departments, and psychological safety among colleagues at the same level of employment. Conclusion: The results indicate that company participation in this organizational-level MBI including a workplace-adapted MBSR programme may positively impact social relations at work, especially the bridging social capital and psychological safety between colleagues at the same level of employment. These results may have been influenced by lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global Imperative of Suicidal Ideation in 10 Countries Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a detrimental impact on individuals' psychological well-being; however, a multi-country comparison on the prevalence of suicidal ideation due to the virus is still lacking. Objectives: To examine the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among the general population across 10 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study which used convenience sampling and collected data by conducting an online survey. Participants were sourced from 10 Eastern and Western countries. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure the outcome variable of suicidal ideation. Ordinal regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors associated with suicidal ideation. Results: A total of 25,053 participants (22.7% male) were recruited. Results from the analysis showed that the UK and Brazil had the lowest odds of suicidal ideation compared to Macau (p < 0.05). Furthermore, younger age, male, married, and differences in health beliefs were significantly associated with suicidal ideation (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for joint international collaboration to formulate effective suicide prevention strategies in a timely manner and the need to implement online mental health promotion platforms. In doing so, the potential global rising death rates by suicide during the pandemic can be reduced.

Mental Health of Healthcare Professionals: Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased psychosocial risk factors among healthcare professionals (HCPs). Objective: To characterize Portuguese HCPs mental health (MH), estimate anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and burnout symptoms, and identify risk/protective factors. A cross-sectional online survey and a longitudinal assessment were conducted in 2020 (T0) and 2021 (T1). Sociodemographic and occupational variables, COVID-19-related experiences and protective behavior data were collected from a non-probabilistic sample of HCPs in Portugal. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout and resilience were assessed using the Portuguese versions of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (MBSM) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), respectively. Risk and protective factors were identified through simple and multiple logistic regression models. Overall, 2027 participants answered the survey in T0 and 1843 in T1. The percentage of moderate-to-severe symptoms decreased from T0 to T1; however, a considerable proportion of HCPs reported symptoms of distress in both years. Being a woman, working in a COVID-19-treatment frontline position and work-life balance increased the odds of distress. High resilience, good social/family support, and hobbies/lifestyle maintenance were found to be protective factors. Globally, our results show that performing as a HCP during the pandemic may result in long-term effects on MH.

Learner Experience of an Online Co-Learning Model to Support Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of the population such as increased levels of anxiety, psychological distress, isolation, etc. Access to mental health services has been limited due to the "overflow" of demands. The Recovery College (RC) model, an education-based approach, has addressed this challenge and provided online well-being and mental health courses to at-risk populations. The RC model proposes a co-learning space in an adult education program where learners from diverse backgrounds collectively learn and empower themselves to better address psychological well-being and mental health issues. The aim of this study was to document the experience of learners who participated in online RC courses during the COVID-19 pandemic and the perceived impact of these courses on their mental health. A qualitative interpretative descriptive study design was employed, and Miles and Huberman's stepwise content analysis method was used to mine the data for themes. Fourteen structured online interviews were conducted with a sample representative of the diversity of learners. Five categories of themes emerged: (1) updating and validating your mental health knowledge, (2) taking care of yourself and your mental health, (3) improving and modifying your behaviors and practices, (4) changing how you look at yourself and others, and (5) interacting and connecting with others. Results suggest that online RC courses can be an effective strategy for supporting individual self-regulation and empowerment, breaking social isolation, and reducing the effects of stress in times of social confinement measures and limited access to care.

The Key Role of Psychosocial Competencies in Evidence-Based Youth Mental Health Promotion: Academic Support in Consolidating a National Strategy in France.

Psychosocial competencies, also known as psychosocial skills or life skills, are essential for the prevention and promotion of mental health. Since the beginning of this century, psychosocial competencies have been defined as the ability to develop positive mental health. Most individual or social mental health protection programs are related to psychosocial competencies. A majority of evidence-based programs that develop mental health explicitly aim at developing psychosocial competencies, either exclusively or with complementary approaches. Many of these programs have demonstrated their effectiveness, with lasting effects on reduced anxiety and depression symptoms, violent and risky behaviors, and improved well-being and academic success. Based on international meta-analyses and on 20 years of French national and local experiences, a national strategy to develop psychosocial competencies was launched in France in 2021 for all children from 3 to 25 years old. Two reports on evidence-based psychosocial competence development were published in 2022 by the national agency for public health-Santé publique France (Public Health France)-to support this deployment strategy and develop a common evidence-based culture in health and education. This article presents the French national strategy as an example of a means of increasing evidence-based mental health promotion while discussing the importance of cultural adaptation of such programs.

Towards best practice during COVID-19: A responsive and relational program with remote schools to enhance the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

From 2018, the Schools Up North (SUN) programme worked with three remote Australian schools to enhance their capability and resilience to support the wellbeing and mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. This paper explores the implementation of SUN during the first two years of COVID-19 (2020–2021). Method: Using grounded theory methods, school staff, other service providers and SUN facilitators were interviewed, with transcripts and programme documents coded and interrelationships between codes identified. An implementation model was developed. Results: The SUN approach was place-based, locally informed and relational, fostering school resilience through staff reflection on and response to emerging contextual challenges. Challenges were the: community lockdowns and school closures;(un)availability of other services;community uncertainty and anxiety;school staff capability and wellbeing;and risk of educational slippage. SUN strategies were: enhancing teachers’ capabilities and resources, facilitating public health discussions, and advocating at regional level. Outcomes were: enhanced capability of school staff;greater school-community engagement;student belonging and engagement;a voice for advocacy;and continuity of SUN's momentum. Conclusions: The resilience approach (rather than specific strategies) was critical for building schools’ capabilities for promoting students and staff wellbeing and provides an exemplar for remote schools globally. [ FROM AUTHOR]

The engagement of tertiary students with an online mental health intervention during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A feasibility study.

Background: We discuss the feasibility of a brief, online mental health promotion programme for tertiary students and establish recommendations for future programmes. Methods: The programme 'Student Elevenses' was delivered at a tertiary education institution. 'Student Elevenses' aimed to promote student wellbeing during the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis, comprised of 10-15-min daily online micro-interventions targeting six lifestyle areas for wellbeing, and was delivered via video conference. Upon programme completion, all students were invited to complete barriers to engagement survey, irrespective of whether they had attended or heard of the programme. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographics, as well as feasibility and acceptability outcomes including recruitment rates, attendance rates and reported barriers to attendance. Open-ended questions were coded for themes. Results: Less than 1% of those who consented to participate actually attended the programme, with attendance ranging from 2 to 17 participants. Participants were predominantly female (68%), domestic students (81%) and had a mean age of 29.5 years. The barriers students reported included fixed time, online format, a belief programme would not be helpful, preference for existing supports and perceived impacts of coronavirus disease 2019. Students recommended embedding support within policies/teaching, offering a range of supports and involving students in design. Conclusion: Barriers to mental health promotion via telehealth should be considered to promote accessibility and acceptability for tertiary students. Future programmes should consider reaching students through mandatory activities (e.g. lectures, tutorials) and should include student consultation and co-design to support the development of programmes that meet student needs and preferences.

Moderators of pre-post changes in school-based mental health promotion: Psychological stress symptom decrease for adolescents with mental health problems, knowledge increase for all.

Background: School-based mental health promotion aims to strengthen mental health and reduce stress. Results on the effectiveness of such programs are heterogeneous. This study realized a school-based mental health promotion program (StresSOS) for all students and aimed to identify moderators (mental health status, gender, grade level) of pre- to post-changes in stress symptoms and knowledge. Methods: Participants were N = 510 adolescents (from 29 classes; 46.7% female) aged 12-18 years (M = 13.88, SD = 1.00; grade levels 7-10). They were without mental health problems (65.9%), at risk for mental health problems (21.6%), or with mental health problems (12.5%) and participated in a 90 min per week face-to-face training with 8 sessions in class at school. Demographic variables, mental health status, stress symptoms, and knowledge about stress and mental health were collected at baseline. Program acceptance, stress symptoms, and knowledge were collected post-intervention. Multilevel mixed effects models were conducted with the fixed effects time (within factor), mental health status, gender, and grade level (between factors). Random effects for students within classes were included. Results: In the pre-post comparison, mental health status moderated the changes on psychological stress symptoms (p < 0.05). In adolescents with mental health problems the largest reduction in stress symptoms was observed between pre- and post-assessment. Gender and grade level were less relevant. For all adolescents knowledge gains were revealed (p < 0.001). Program acceptance was moderated by mental health status and grade level (p < 0.01). Mentally healthy adolescents and within the group of adolescents at-risk or with mental health problems, especially younger students (7th/8th grade), rated program acceptance higher. Conclusion: Psychological stress symptoms decreased among adolescents with mental health problems and not among adolescents at risk for or without mental health problems. Mental health-related knowledge increased for all adolescents. The results add to knowledge on school-based mental health intervention research and practice. Its implications for different prevention strategies (universal, selective or a combination of both) are discussed.

A qualitative exploration of university student perspectives on mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises via smartphone app in Bangladesh.

PURPOSE: Mental health problems are proliferating, and access to mental health care is difficult due to barriers imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in low-income countries such as Bangladesh. University students are susceptible to mental health concerns, given their unique stressors (i.e., academic pressure, new social environment). Mindfulness techniques can promote mental health , yet their acceptability has not been examined among Bangladeshi university students. These techniques can be used on a digital app, to decrease barriers to use.Qualitative methods were used to examine the acceptability of mindfulness among university students in Bangladesh. In-depth interviews (n = 12) were conducted to examine student reactions to linguistically (Bangla) and culturally adapted mindfulness exercises. Thematic analysis generated three themes (1) previous experience with mindfulness (2) positive responses to and (3) improvements to mindfulness exercises. RESULTS: The results showed favourable attitudes towards the mindfulness content; students expressed positive psychological and physiological reactions. Students welcomed the concept of using these exercises on an app and felt it could overcomepast barriers to help-seeking. CONCLUSIONS: This evidence suggests the value of exploring the acceptability of an app with mindfulness exercises for mental health promotion through a larger-scale pilot study in university students in Bangladesh.

Designing the Well-Being of Romanians by Achieving Mental Health with Digital Methods and Public Health Promotion.

Taking care of mental health is a state of mind. Amid the challenges of the current context, mental health has become one of the problems with the greatest impact on citizens and the evolution of any economy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become more anxious, solitary, preoccupied with themselves, and depressed because their entire universe has changed, by restricting their social and professional life; the increase in concern caused by a possible illness of them or those close to them made to isolate themselves. Two qualitative (group and in-depth interviews) and one survey-based quantitative research were carried out, which allowed the quantification of the opinions, perceptions, and attitudes of Romanians regarding the effectiveness of policies for the prevention and treatment of depression. Quantitative research revealed that most of the subjects had never participated in a mental health assessment, and a quarter of them had visited a mental health specialist more than two years ago. Based on the results, proposals were elaborated, which have been addressed both to the specialists from the Ministry of Health and to those from the academic environment, that may have an impact on the elaboration of some public mental health programs.

Subjective dimension of work processes in health professionals in the context of a pandemic: an exploratory study based on the analysis of support devices for Health Teams in a municipality of the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA)

Objective: characterize the subjective dimension of the work processes at the first level of care in the context of a pandemic, through the description and analysis of the speeches of the workers produced within the framework of the Health Team Support device implemented in a municipality in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires. Methodology: qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research. Single case study focused on participant observation in 10 meetings in health centers of the Municipality of Tigre, during the months of April and May 2020. The systematization of the material was carried out following techniques of content analysis and category generation. Results: the analysis identified five emerging categories: a) changes in work settings, b) emotions and attitudes towards the task, c) ties within teams, d) ties with authorities, and e) ties with the community. Discussion: the subjective dimension contained in the experiences reported are characterized by feelings of uncertainty, fears, tensions in the relationship between colleagues, with hierarchical instances and with the assisted population, but also by active searches for alternatives, support among colleagues, participation, motivation in the sense of work, mutual care and approach to the community. In this way, aspects that pre-existed the pandemic situation and aspects that the context introduce are made visible. Finally, we come up with some reflections on the implications of the inclusion of this device in the work process of health teams during the pandemic.

Pause, re-think, go virtual pandemic adaptations from 20 diverse mental health promotion intervention projects across Canada.

The Government of Canada's Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund (MHP-IF) is a platform for learning across diverse projects, facilitated by a Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub. MHP-IF projects were getting underway before the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in 2020 and dramatically shifted their circumstances and activities. Using storytelling methods, this study explored 20 project experiences during the first year of the pandemic, including how and why assumptions, plans, and activities were adapted; early signals about what was working well or not; and how adaptations influenced equity, access, and cultural safety. Project teams generally navigated through four stages: pausing, re-thinking, adapting, and settling into adjustments. Within and across these stages, projects addressed similar processes, including meeting fundamental needs of participants and project teams, managing unanticipated benefits, and engaging with online formats. All projects experienced the pandemic's influence of amplifying both inequities and public and political attention on mental health. This study provides experiential evidence from diverse settings and populations in Canada about pandemic adaptations. The multi-project model and storytelling methods can usefully contribute to additional research, including ways to address inequities and promote cultural safety.

Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing in Multicultural Australia: A Collaborative Regional Approach.

Migrant communities are often under-served by mental health services. Lack of community engagement results in missed opportunities for mental health promotion and early intervention, delayed care, and high rates of untreated psychological distress. Bilingual clinicians and others who work with these communities lack linguistically and culturally appropriate resources. This article reports on the implementation and evaluation of a community-based group mindfulness program delivered to Arabic and Bangla-speaking communities in Sydney, Australia, including modifications made to the content and format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was positioned within a stepped-care model for primary mental health care and adopted a collaborative regional approach. In addition to improved mental health outcomes for face-to-face and online program participants, we have documented numerous referrals to specialist services and extensive diffusion of mindfulness skills, mostly to family members, within each community. Community partnerships were critical to community engagement. Training workshops to build the skills of the bilingual health and community workforce increased the program's reach. In immigrant nations such as Australia, mainstream mental health promotion must be complemented by activities that target specific population groups. Scaled up, and with appropriate adaptation, the group mindfulness program offers a low-intensity in-language intervention for under-served communities.

A Brief, Daily, Online Mental Health and Well-being Intervention for University Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Program Description and Outcomes Using a Mixed Methods Design.

BACKGROUND: The unprecedented changes and isolation measures to contain COVID-19 have had multiple psychological and social impacts, with implications for professional and personal functioning. Evidence-informed interventions that can be rapidly implemented under pandemic conditions to support mental health during such times are urgently needed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the acceptability and preliminary outcomes of a daily online mental health promotion program for tertiary education staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The "Victoria University (VU) Elevenses" program was delivered as an uncontrolled intervention at Victoria University (VU) in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne, Australia. In April 2020, an email invitation was sent to all academic and professional staff inviting them to: (1) participate in the program and (2) opt-in to the research component. The "VU Elevenses" program provided 10-15-minute microinterventions comprising lifestyle and well-being strategies to promote mental health via an online meeting platform at 11 AM each weekday. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the program, combining structured questionnaires with semistructured interviews to investigate the experiences of staff who participated in the program. RESULTS: Between 16 and 90 participants provided weekly program feedback. A total of 106 university staff opted into the longitudinal research component and 10 staff participated in the interviews. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with sessions and perceived benefits for mental health. Approximately one quarter of participants reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress at baseline, with significant reductions in these symptoms in the first 7 weeks of the program, corresponding with easing in mandatory isolation ("lockdown") restrictions. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress all increased when lockdown measures were reintroduced, but not to the same levels as found during the initial lockdown period. Overall changes in depression and anxiety from baseline to the end of the program were explained by changes in COVID-19-related distress, whereas changes in self-compassion explained changes in stress. CONCLUSIONS: We show that it is feasible and acceptable to develop and deliver a program of brief interventions in a timely manner, using a simple and accessible online platform. Although participation in the program was initially associated with reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, participants' mental health worsened with the reintroduction of a "lockdown" period. However, as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress did not return to levels observed at the start of the VU Elevenses program, participation in the uncontrolled intervention may have offered a protective benefit against the impact of the second significant lockdown period.