Managing Minds at Work: A Feasibility Pilot Trial

NCT05154019 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 299-0621
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 224
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief 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

Keywords

stress; mental health; line manager

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• change in line managers confidence to create a mentally healthy workplace from baseline to 6 weeks

  Self-report scale assessing Confidence to Create Mentally Healthy Workplace (Gayed et al, 2109; Gayed et al, 2018). 6 items measured on 1 to 5 scale. Minimum value 5 (lowest confidence), maximum value 30 (highest confidence). Higher score means a better outcome.

  Baseline to 6 weeks follow-up

• change in line managers confidence to create a mentally healthy workplace from baseline to 3 months

  Self-report scale assessing Confidence to Create Mentally Healthy Workplace (Gayed et al, 2109; Gayed et al, 2018). 6 items measured on 1 to 5 scale. Minimum value 5 (lowest confidence), maximum value 30 (highest confidence). Higher score means a better outcome

  Baseline to 3 months follow-up

• change in line managers confidence to create a mentally healthy workplace from baseline to 6 months

  Self-report scale assessing Confidence to Create Mentally Healthy Workplace (Gayed et al, 2109; Gayed et al, 2018). 6 items measured on 1 to 5 scale. Minimum value 5 (lowest confidence), maximum value 30 (highest confidence). Higher score means a better outcome

  Baseline to 6 months follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (16)

• change in line manger mental health knowledge from baseline to 6 weeks

  Baseline to 6 weeks follow-up

• change in line manger mental health knowledge from baseline to 3 months

  Baseline to 3 months follow-up

• change in line manger mental health knowledge from baseline to 6 months

  Baseline to 6 months follow-up

• change in line manager workplace mental health literacy from baseline to 6 weeks

  Baseline to 6 weeks follow-up

• change in line manager workplace mental health literacy from baseline to 3 months

  Baseline to 3 months follow-up

Study Arms (2)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Line Managers from organisations in the intervention arm will complete a self-led online training course consisting of 5 modules, over a period of 5-6 weeks

Behavioral: Managing Minds at Work Online Training

Waitlist Control

NO INTERVENTION

Line Managers from organisations in the intervention arm will receive no training. They will be given access to the online intervention at the end of a 3-month period.

Interventions

Managing Minds at Work Online Training BEHAVIORAL

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.

Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18 years or older
• Employed
• Direct managerial or supervision responsibility for three or more staff.
• Has a work computer or mobile phone and email address with which to access the training and receive reminders
• Ability to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Not employed
• Employed but due to retire or be made redundant in the next 6 months
• Have undertaken work-based training on mental health at work within last 6 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Nottingham: lead
• Institute of Mental Health Nottingham: collaborator
• University of Warwick: collaborator
• Loughborough University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Nottingham

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Hassard J, Blake H, Dulal-Arthur TM, Frost A, Bartle C, Yarker J, Munir F, Vaughan B, Daly G, Meyer C, Russell S, Thomson L. Web-Based Interactive Training for Managers (Managing Minds at Work) to Promote Mental Health at Work: Pilot Feasibility Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Ment Health. 2025 Sep 2;12:e76373. doi: 10.2196/76373.

  PMID: 40896820 DERIVED

• Thomson L, Hassard J, Frost A, Bartle C, Yarker J, Munir F, Kneller R, Marwaha S, Daly G, Russell S, Meyer C, Vaughan B, Newman K, Blake H. Digital Training Program for Line Managers (Managing Minds at Work): Protocol for a Feasibility Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Oct 24;12:e48758. doi: 10.2196/48758.

  PMID: 37874612 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Occupational Stress; Illness Behavior; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Occupational Diseases; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Personal Satisfaction

Study Officials

• Louise Thomson, PhD

  University of Nottingham

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Waiting list control. Control group receive the training 3 months after completing baseline

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 25, 2021
• First Posted: December 10, 2021
• Study Start: October 20, 2021
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2023
• Study Completion: June 30, 2023
• Last Updated: December 21, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)