An Online Course for Improving Knowledge and Access to Mental Health Accommodations in Canadian Enterprises

NCT04122482 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2019-126
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 89
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Available research on mental health accommodations within the workplace suggests that employees with mental health concerns require accommodations (e.g., flexible scheduling, quiet spaces), but only a fraction of employees will receive the accommodations they have requested. Reported barriers to receiving mental health accommodations include concerns regarding stigma, lack of knowledge about appropriate accommodations, financial constraints of the employer, and size of the organization. While there is growing research on workplace accommodations, there is a paucity of research available on interventions aimed at improving accommodation usage, particularly within SMEs. To address this gap, the intent of the proposed study is to develop and implement an online psychoeducation course to increase employees' accommodation knowledge and usage within Canadian enterprises. Once the course is developed, reviewed, and implemented, an additional aim of the proposed study will be to test the efficacy of the course using a two-arm, randomized controlled trial comparing the intervention to a wait-list control group. A total of 86 participants experiencing workplace impairments due to a depressive and/or anxiety disorder will be randomly assigned to a psychoeducation group or wait-list control group. A 2x3 repeated measures (i.e., pre-course, at four weeks and eight weeks) mixed model ANOVA will be used to analyze the effects of the intervention on accommodation requests, knowledge of accommodations, absenteeism/presenteeism rates, employee self-efficacy, and psychological symptoms. The results of the study may be used to develop future offerings of the course and improve mental health accommodations practices within Canadian enterprises.

Conditions

Depression, Anxiety

Keywords

Mental health accommodation; Canadian buisness; Psychoeducation; ICBT

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (12)

• Assessing change of requesting and/or receiving accommodations between course start date and 8 weeks post course completion.

  We will be assessing the impact of the psychoeducation course on requesting and/or receiving workplace accommodations for anxiety and/or depression symptoms. This will be assessed using a questionnaire, which will include questions such as "Have you ever requested from your current company any change or accommodation in your job or workplace to better meet your mental health needs?" This questionnaire includes dichotomous questions (yes/no) and there is one scale that asks how comfortable participants are requesting an accommodation (min: 1; max: 10). A higher value represents more comfort requesting an accommodation.

  8 weeks

• Efficacy of online psychoeducation course on self-stigmatizing attitudes as measured by Self-stigma of Mental Illness Scale - Short Form (SSMIS-SF)

  We will be assessing the impact of the psychoeducation course on employees' self-stigmatizing attitudes. The investigators will be assessing 4 sub-scales (Aware, Agree, Apply, and Hurts Self). Each sub-scale has the following minimum and maximum values Min: 5 Max: 45 Higher values represent more self-stigmatizing attitudes.

  8 weeks

• Assessing change in employee knowledge of accommodations between course start date and 8 weeks post course completion

  We will be assessing employees' knowledge of accommodations before and after receiving the course material. This will be assessed using a questionnaire that includes likert scales and open-ended questions such as "On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is "no knowledge" and 10 is "very knowledgeable how much do you know about workplace accommodations for mental health conditions?" and "Please list the accommodations you are comfortable requesting?"

  8 weeks

• Impact of receiving accommodations on absenteeism and presenteeism rates as measured by the World Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ).

  Change in absenteeism and presenteeism rates in terms of the total number of missed work days or lower productivity days during the previous 28 days.

  8 weeks

• Impact of receiving accommodations on employee self-efficacy as measured by New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE).

  Change in employees' self-efficacy scores during the previous 4 weeks. The total score is calculated by total score for each participant and taking the average rating of the items selected. Minimum score: 1 Maxium score: 5 Lower values represent lower self-efficacy

  8 weeks

• Impact of receiving accommodations on employee symptom severity as measured bygeneral anxiety measures (GAD-7)

  Change in employees' self-reported symptom severity during the previous 4 weeks. GAD-7- Min score = 0; Max score = 21 - Higher scores represents more severe symptoms

  8 weeks

• Impact of receiving accommodations on employee symptom severity as measured by social interaction anxiety measures (SIAS-6).

  Change in employees' self-reported symptom severity during the previous 4 weeks. SIAS-6: Min score = 0; Max score = 24 - Higher scores represents more severe symptoms

  8 weeks

• Impact of receiving accommodations on employee symptom severity as measured by social phobia anxiety measures (SPS-6).

  Change in employees' self-reported symptom severity during the previous 4 weeks. SPS-6: Min score = 0; Max score = 24 - Higher scores represents more severe symptoms

  8 weeks

• Impact of receiving accommodations on employee symptom severity as measured by depression measures (PHQ-9)

  Change in employees' self-reported symptom severity during the previous 4 weeks. PHQ-9 - Min score = 0; Max score = 27 - Higher scores represents more severe symptoms

  8 weeks

• Assessing change in employee relationships within the workplace as measured by the Workplace Relationships Scale (WRS).

  Change in employees' workplace relationships during the previous 4 weeks. WRS scores will range from: Min: 9 Max: 63 Higher scores represents more interpersonal conflict at work.

  8 weeks

• Identification of workplace accommodations received for anxiety and/or depression symptoms.

  Participants will be asked to list any workplace accommodations they have received for the anxiety and/or depression symptoms in the past 4 weeks. This is an open-ended question and does not have a scale.

  8 weeks

• Impact of supervisor's leadership and organizational inclusion on receiving an accommodation and disclosing in the workplace.

  Supervisors Leader and Organizational Inclusion scales will be used to measure the impact of both on receiving an accommodation or disclosing in the workplace. Supervisor Leadership - Min score = 7; Max score = 35 - Higher scores represents more supportive leadership style Organization Inclusion: Min score = 1; Max score = 34 - Higher scores represents a more inclusive and support organization.

  8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Impact of psychoeducation course on comfort level of disclosing a mental health condition in the workplace

  8 weeks

• Impact of psychoeducation course on rates of disclosure in the workplace

  8 weeks

• Identification of the barriers and facilitators to requesting/receiving workplace accommodations for anxiety and/or depression symptoms

  8 weeks

• Feedback on the course structure and content

  1 week

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

In this arm, participants will be given access to the course material shortly after eligibility criteria is confirmed. They will be asked to complete post-measures questionnaires at 4 weeks and 8 weeks following completion of the course material.

Behavioral: Psychoeducation Course

Wait-list Control

EXPERIMENTAL

In this arm, participants will be given access to the course material 8 weeks following confirmation of their eligibility. During, the 8-week waiting period they will be asked to complete questionnaires at 4 weeks and 8 weeks. At 8 weeks they will be given access to the course material and will be asked to complete the same questionnaires 4- and 8-weeks following completion of the course material.

Behavioral: Psychoeducation Course

Interventions

Psychoeducation Course BEHAVIORAL

The investigators are assessing the efficacy of the accommodations course. Specifically, the investigators will evaluate the impact on requesting and receiving accommodations for anxiety and/or depression, employee knowledge of accommodations, and employee self-stigmatizing attitudes. The investigators will also assess if the course helps improve comfort level of disclosing a mental health diagnosis and rates of disclosure in the workplace.

Also known as: Wait-list Control

Intervention Group; Wait-list Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• are 18 years of age or older;
• are a resident of Canada;
• are experiencing at least clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and/or depression (i.e., symptoms are severe enough to impact work performance);
• \- I.e., a GAD-7 score of 10 or greater, or SIAS score of 7 or greater, SPS-6 score of 2 or greater, PHQ-0 score of 10 or greater, be absent from work a minimum of .3 days in the last 28 days, have a presenteeism score of 40 or greater.
• have not been hospitalized within the last year for mental health and/or suicide risk concerns;
• have access to a secure computer and the Internet, and is comfortable using technology.

You may not qualify if:

• are younger than 18 years of age;
• are not a resident of Canada;
• are experiencing minimal or no symptoms of anxiety and/or depression;
• have been hospitalized within the last year for mental health and/or suicide risk concerns;
• have unmanaged problems with alcohol, drugs, psychosis, or mania;
• do not have access to a secure computer and the Internet or is not comfortable using technology.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Regina: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Regina

Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S0A2, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression; Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Heather Hadjistavropoulos, PhD

  University of Regina

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Factorial Assignment Factor 1: Receive course material immediately Factor 2: Receive course material in 8 weeks Each client will be randomized to one of two conditions: Condition 1: They receive access to the course material immediately. Condition 2: They receive access to the course material after 8 weeks.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 23, 2019
• First Posted: October 10, 2019
• Study Start: September 6, 2019
• Primary Completion: November 21, 2020
• Study Completion: March 13, 2021
• Last Updated: April 3, 2025

Record last verified: 2021-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)