The relationship between line manager training in mental health and organisational outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Line manager (LM) training in mental health is gaining recognition as an effective method for improving the mental health and wellbeing of workers. However, research predominantly focuses on the impacts of training at the employee-level, often neglecting the broader organisational-level outcomes. Most studies derive insights from LMs using self-reported data, with very few studies examining impacts on organisational-level outcomes. AIM: To explore the relationship between LM training in mental health and organisational-level outcomes using company-level data from a diverse range of organisations. METHODS: This study is a secondary analysis of anonymised panel survey data from firms in England, with data derived from computer-assisted telephone surveys over four waves (2020, 1899 firms; 2021, 1551; 2022, 1904; and 2023, 1902). The analysis merged the four datasets to control for temporal variations. Probit regression was conducted including controls for age of organisation, sector, size, and wave to isolate specific relationships of interest. RESULTS: We found that LM training in mental health is significantly associated with several organisational-level outcomes, including: improved staff recruitment (ß = .317, p < .001) and retention (ß = .453, p < .001), customer service (ß = .453, p < .001), business performance (ß = .349, p < .001), and lower long-term sickness absence due to mental ill-health (ß = -.132, p < .05). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to explore the organisational-level outcomes of LM training in mental health in a large sample of organisations of different types, sizes, and sectors. Training LM in mental health is directly related to diverse aspects of an organisations' functioning and, therefore, has strategic business value for organisations. This knowledge has international relevance for policy and practice in workforce health and business performance.

Spreading the word ... hospice information systems.

The rapid spread of Saunders' thinking across the world has been facilitated by the Hospice Information service and library at St Christopher's Hospice which she helped to create and further enhanced by Help the Hospices. We have set this article in the context of the Web and other information systems as they are developing today. "Connecting people" and "collecting people's experiences" were terms often used by Cicely Saunders when she described the work of Hospice Information, a service that has in some measure contributed to the rapid spread of her thinking across the world and which is currently in close contact with palliative care workers in over 120 countries. Connecting--or networking--putting people and organizations in touch with each other for mutual benefit and collecting and disseminating people's experiences are central to our work as a U.K. and international resource on hospice and palliative care for professionals and the public. Add to these the crucial role of information provision and advocacy for patients, carers, and health professionals alike and we hope that you may begin to appreciate how our respective organizations have contributed to the spread of Cicely Saunders' vision.

The worldwide palliative care alliance: networking national associations.

Hospice and palliative care has a history of collaboration. National associations of hospice and palliative care are now developing across the world and have produced a new partnership, the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance. The alliance aims to support the scale-up of services across the world and share best practice across national associations. The alliance facilitates World Hospice and Palliative Care Day and advocacy activities such as the use of the Korea Declaration. There are a number of work groups covering areas such as education and training, organizational development, and quality and standards, which aim to assist national associations and hospice and palliative care services to develop. A third worldwide summit of national associations is planned for 2007.