Caution must therefore be exercised in interpreting results , but the case for investment in parenting and health visitor-related programmes appears most strong , especially when impacts beyond the health sector are taken into account .
In the workplace an economic return on investment in a number of comprehensive workplace health promotion programmes and stress management projects ( largely in the USA ) was reported , while group-based exercise and psychosocial interventions are of potential benefit to older people .
Promoting mental health in small-medium enterprises: An evaluation of the "Business in Mind" program
Background Workplace mental health promotion ( WMHP ) aims to prevent and effectively manage the social and economic costs of common mental illnesses such as depression . The mental health of managers and employees within small-medium enterprises ( SMEs ) is a neglected sector in occupational health research and practice , despite the fact that this sector is the most common work setting in most economies . The availability and propensity of SME staff to attend face-to-face training/therapy or workshop style interventions often seen in corporate or public sector work setting s is a widely recognised problem . The ' Business in Mind ' program employs a DVD mode of delivery that is convenient for SME managers , particularly those operating in regional and remote areas where internet delivery may not be optimal . The objective of the intervention program is to improve the mental health of SME managers , and examine whether employees of managers ' whose mental health improves , report positive change in their psychosocial work environment . The mechanisms via which we aim to improve managers ' mental health are through the development of their psychological capital ( a higher order construct comprised of hope , self efficacy , resilience and optimism ) and their skills and capacities for coping with work stress . Methods / Design The effectiveness of two versions of the program ( self administered and telephone facilitated ) will be assessed using a r and omised trial with an active control condition ( psychoeducation only ) . We aim to recruit a minimum of 249 managers and a sample of their employees . This design allows for 83 managers per group , as power analyses showed that this number would allow for attrition of 20 % and still enable detection of an effect size of 0.5 . The intervention will be implemented over a three month period and postal surveys will assess managers and employees in each group at baseline , intervention completion , and at 6 month follow up . The intervention groups ( managers only ) will also be assessed at 12 and 24 month follow-up to examine maintenance of effects . Primary outcomes are managers ' levels of psychological capital ( hope , resilience , self-efficacy and optimism ) , coping strategies , anxiety and depression symptoms , self-reported health , job satisfaction and job tension . Secondary outcomes are participating managers subordinates ' perceptions of manager support , relational justice , emotional climate and job tension . In order to provide an economic evaluation of the intervention , both employees and manager rates of absenteeism and presenteeism will also be assessed . Discussion The intervention being trialled is expected to improve both primary and secondary outcomes . If proven efficacious , the intervention could be disseminated to reach a much larger proportion of the business community . Trial registration Current controlled trials IS RCT N
Caution must therefore be exercised in interpreting results , but the case for investment in parenting and health visitor-related programmes appears most strong , especially when impacts beyond the health sector are taken into account .
In the workplace an economic return on investment in a number of comprehensive workplace health promotion programmes and stress management projects ( largely in the USA ) was reported , while group-based exercise and psychosocial interventions are of potential benefit to older people .