Managing Minds at Work: Development of a Digital Line Manager Training Program

Holly Blake, Benjamin Vaughan, Craig Bartle, Jo Yarker, Fehmidah Munir, Steven Marwaha, Guy Daly, Sean Russell, Caroline Meyer, Juliet Hassard and Louise Thomson
Additional contact information
Holly Blake: School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
Benjamin Vaughan: Institute of Mental Health, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Nottingham NG3 6AA, UK
Craig Bartle: Institute of Mental Health, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Nottingham NG3 6AA, UK
Jo Yarker: Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1H 0PD, UK
Fehmidah Munir: School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK
Steven Marwaha: Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Guy Daly: Office of the Provost, The British University in Egypt, El Sherouk City 11837, Cairo, Egypt
Sean Russell: Thrive at Work, West Midlands Combined Authority, Birmingham B19 3SD, UK
Caroline Meyer: Executive Office, Warwick University, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Juliet Hassard: School of Medicine, University of Nottingham Jubilee Campus, Nottingham NG8 1BB, UK
Louise Thomson: Institute of Mental Health, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Nottingham NG3 6AA, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-19

Abstract: Mental ill-health is the leading cause of sickness absence, creating a high economic burden. Workplace interventions aimed at supporting employers in the prevention of mental ill-health in the workforce are urgently required. Managing Minds at Work is a digital intervention aimed at supporting line managers in promoting better mental health at work through a preventative approach. This intervention was developed as part of the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot, a wider initiative aimed at supporting employers across the Midlands region of the United Kingdom to improve the future of workplace mental health and wellbeing. The aim of the study is to describe the design and development of the Managing Minds at Work digital training program, prior to feasibility testing. We adopted a collaborative participatory design involving co-design (users as partners) and principles of user-centred design (pilot and usability testing). An agile methodology was used to co-create intervention content with a stakeholder virtual community of practice. Development processes were mapped to core elements of the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions. The program covers five broad areas: (i) promoting self-care techniques among line managers; (ii) designing work to prevent work-related stress; (iii) management competencies to prevent and reduce stress; (iv) having conversations with employees about mental health; (v) building a psychologically safe work environment. It was considered by stakeholders to be appropriate for any type of organization, irrespective of their size or resources. Pilot and usability testing ( n = 37 surveys) aligned with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) demonstrated that the program was perceived to be useful, relevant, and easy to use by managers across sectors, organization types, and sizes. We identified positive impacts on manager attitudes and behavioral intentions related to preventing mental ill-health and promoting good mental wellbeing at work. The next step is to explore the feasibility and acceptability of Managing Minds at Work with line managers in diverse employment settings.

Keywords: digital; mental health; intervention; training; stress; occupational; workplace; workforce; line managers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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