scholarly journals The economics of mental health in the workplace: what do we know and where do we go?

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
David McDaid

AbstractTo provide an overview of the economic impact of poor mental health in the workplace and assess the extent to which economic evaluation has been used to further the case for investment in workplace based mental health programmes. Rapid scoping review of published and grey literature. The socio-economic costs of poor mental health in the workplace are substantial but conservative, as few studies have included productivity losses from work cutback, as well as absenteeism. While few economic evaluations of workplace based mental health interventions were identified, the available evidence base suggests that they have the potential to be highly cost effective. Much of this evidence may be from the US and be less applicable elsewhere; it may also have been solely published in company documents making assessment of methodological quality difficult. The potential economic case for workplace based mental health interventions appears good. More collaboration between policy makers and the private sector would help facilitate rigorous and transparent economic evaluations. A number of evaluations are planned. The challenge is to build on these initiatives, in order to address what remains a major gap in our knowledge on the economics of mental health.

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwen Katheryn Healey ◽  
Jennifer Noah ◽  
Ceporah Mearns

<p><strong><em>Objective:</em> </strong>This study responded to a community-identified need to form an evidence base for interventions to promote mental health and wellness among youth in Nunavut. <strong><em>Methods: </em></strong>A literature review was conducted using the terms <em>adolescence </em>and <em>Inuit</em> and <em>intervention </em>or <em>program </em>or <em>camp </em>or <em>land-based</em>. PubMed and Google Scholar databases were used to find peer-reviewed and grey literature on community-based youth programs. The literature review was presented to parents, elders, and youth for discussion over several months in 2009-2010. <strong><em>Results:</em></strong> Key themes included: self-esteem, physical activity, stress and coping, positive peer relationships, Inuit identity, mental health and well-being, and the effects of intergenerational trauma on youth in Nunavut. Themes were incorporated into a model for youth mental health interventions based on Inuit terminology, philosophy, and societal values—the Eight <em>Ujarait</em>/Rocks Model. The model was implemented as a camp program in 6 pilots in 5 communities from 2011 to 2013. Data were collected before and after the camp. Results indicated that the program fostered physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness among youth. Parent observations of participants included an improvement in behaviour and attitude, strong cultural pride, greater confidence in identity, and improved family and community relationships. <strong><em>Conclusion: </em></strong>Evidence-based, community-driven models for youth mental health interventions in the North hold promise. The application of one such model through a camp program had a lasting impact on the individuals involved, beyond their immediate participation. Long-term monitoring of the participants, and ongoing evaluations of camps as they continue to unfold across Nunavut, are needed to contribute to the robust evidence base for this program over time.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calista Leung ◽  
Julia Pei ◽  
Kristen Hudec ◽  
Farhud Shams ◽  
Richard Munthali ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Digital mental health interventions are increasingly prevalent in the current context of rapidly evolving technology, and research indicates that they yield effectiveness outcomes comparable to in-person treatment. Integrating professionals (i.e. psychologists, physicians) into digital mental health interventions has been common, and the inclusion of guidance within programs can increase adherence to interventions. However, employing professionals to enhance mental health programs may undermine the scalability of digital interventions. Therefore, delegating guidance tasks to paraprofessionals (peer supporters, technicians, lay counsellors, or other non-clinicians) can help reduce costs and increase accessibility. OBJECTIVE This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness, adherence, and other process outcomes of non-clinician guided digital mental health interventions. METHODS Four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PSYCInfo) were searched for randomized controlled trials published between 2010 and 2020 examining digital mental health interventions. Three journals focused on digital intervention were also hand searched and grey literature was searched using ProQuest and the Cochrane Central Register of Control Trials (CENTRAL). Two researchers independently assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2. Data were collected on effectiveness, adherence, and other process outcomes, and meta-analyses were conducted for effectiveness and adherence outcomes. Non-clinician guided interventions were compared with treatment as usual, clinician-guided interventions, and unguided interventions. RESULTS Thirteen studies qualified for inclusion. Results indicate that non-clinician guided interventions yielded higher post-treatment effectiveness outcomes when compared to conditions involving control programs (e.g. online psychoeducation, monitored attention control) or waitlist controls (k=7, Hedges g=-0.73 (95% CI -1.08 to -0.38)). There are significant differences between non-clinician guided interventions and unguided interventions as well (k=6, Hedges g=-0.17 (95% CI -0.23 to -0.11)). In addition, non-clinician guided interventions did not differ in effectiveness from clinician-guided interventions (k=3, Hedges g=0.08 (95% CI -0.01 to 0.17)). These results suggest that guided digital mental health interventions are helpful to improve mental health outcomes regardless of the qualification, and that the presence of a non-clinician guide improves effectiveness outcomes more than no guidance. Non-clinician guided interventions did not yield significantly different effects on adherence outcomes when compared with unguided interventions (k=3, OR 1.58 (95% CI 0.51 to 4.92)), although a general trend of improved adherence was observed within non-clinician guided interventions. CONCLUSIONS Integrating paraprofessionals and non-clinicians appear to improve outcomes of digital mental health interventions, and may also enhance adherence outcomes (though the trend was nonsignificant). Further research should focus on the specific types of tasks these paraprofessionals can successfully provide (i.e. psychosocial support, therapeutic alliance, technical augmentation) and their associated outcomes. CLINICALTRIAL The protocol is preregistered on PROSPERO (CRD42020191226).


2020 ◽  
Vol 132 ◽  
pp. 104982
Author(s):  
Aurélie Gaillard ◽  
Hélène Sultan-Taïeb ◽  
Chantal Sylvain ◽  
Marie-José Durand

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natsu Sasaki ◽  
Erika Obikane ◽  
Rajesh Vedanthan ◽  
Kotaro Imamura ◽  
Pim Cuijpers ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Digital mental health interventions are being used more than ever for the prevention and treatment of psychological problems. Optimizing the implementation aspects of digital mental health is essential to deliver the program to populations in need, but there is a lack of validated implementation outcome measures for digital mental health interventions. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this study is to develop implementation outcome scales of digital mental health for different levels of stakeholders involved in the implementation process: users, providers, and managers or policy makers. The secondary aim is to validate the developed scale for users. METHODS We developed English and Japanese versions of the implementation outcome scales for digital mental health (iOSDMH) based on the literature review and panel discussions with experts in implementation research and web-based psychotherapy. The study developed acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, satisfaction, and harm as the outcome measures for users, providers, and managers or policy makers. We conducted evidence-based interventions via the internet using UTSMeD, a website for mental health information (N=200). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to assess the structural validity of the iOSDMH for users. Satisfaction, which consisted of a single item, was not included in the EFA. RESULTS The iOSDMH was developed for users, providers, and managers or policy makers. The iOSDMH contains 19 items for users, 11 items for providers, and 14 items for managers or policy makers. Cronbach α coefficients indicated intermediate internal consistency for acceptability (α=.665) but high consistency for appropriateness (α=.776), feasibility (α=.832), and harm (α=.777) of the iOSDMH for users. EFA revealed 3-factor structures, indicating acceptability and appropriateness as close concepts. Despite the similarity between these 2 concepts, we inferred that acceptability and appropriateness should be used as different factors, following previous studies. CONCLUSIONS We developed iOSDMH for users, providers, and managers. Psychometric assessment of the scales for users demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. Evaluating the components of digital mental health implementation is a major step forward in implementation science.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Sung ◽  
Corinne Kacmarek ◽  
Jessica L. Schleider

The United States spent 201 billion dollars on mental health related concerns in 2013, ranking mental illness as the leading cause of disability and the single largest source of economic burden worldwide. With mental health-related treatment costs and economic burden only projected to rise, there is an increasing need for cost-inclusive evaluations of mental health interventions specific to the United States as economic evaluations across countries are not easily comparable. Thus, this systematic, descriptive review characterized the types of interventions, target populations, and the quality of 9 economic evaluation studies (e.g., cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit) of youth mental health services conducted in the United States from 2003 to 2019. Existing evaluations suggest that certain mental health interventions for youth, among the few that have been formally evaluated, may be cost-effective and cost-beneficial. However, the small number and mixed quality of eligible studies highlights a dearth of rigorously conductedeconomic evaluations on this topic, variability in cost and outcome assessment approaches, as well as the homogenous characteristics of interventions evaluated. Greater standardization is needed to increase confidence in these conclusions and generate a body of meaningful, quality research that has the potential to shape evidence-based mental health policy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (S1) ◽  
pp. 33-34
Author(s):  
Irina Pokhilenko ◽  
Luca Janssen ◽  
Aggie Paulus ◽  
Ruben Drost ◽  
Silvia Evers

IntroductionThe burden of mental health disorders has a wide societal impact affecting primarily individuals and their significant others. Mental health interventions produce costs and benefits in the health care sector but can also lead to costs and benefits in non-healthcare sectors, also known as inter-sectoral costs and benefits (ICBs). The aim of this study was to develop an internationally applicable list of ICBs in the educational sector resulting from mental health interventions and to facilitate the inclusion of ICBs in economic evaluations across the European Union (EU) by prioritizing important ICBs.MethodsSome ICBs of mental health interventions were identified in earlier research, which were used as a basis for this study. Additional data was collected via a systematic literature search of PubMed and a grey literature search carried out in six EU countries. In order to validate the international applicability of the list and prioritize the ICBs, a survey was conducted with the international group of experts from the educational sector. The outcomes of the expert survey were used to create the condensed list containing the most important ICBs.ResultsThe literature search allowed identifying additional ICBs and creating a comprehensive list of items. In order to improve its usability, a multi-dimensional list was constructed distinguishing between tangible (i.e. special education) and intangible items (i.e. cognitive deficits). Based on the expert survey, the international applicability of the list was validated and the most important ICBs from the economic perspective were determined.ConclusionsMental health interventions can affect a large number of educational facilities. The list of ICBs developed in this study could be used to select relevant educational facilities for economic evaluations of specific mental health disorders. Further research is needed to define, measure, and valuate the identified ICBs in order to facilitate the practical application of the list in economic evaluations.


Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110564
Author(s):  
Kelsey S Dickson ◽  
Megan Ledoux Galligan ◽  
Ho Lok

There have been significant efforts to develop, adapt, and test interventions targeting the co-occurring mental health conditions common among autistic youth, with several extant narrative and systematic reviews demonstrating the efficacy of these interventions. Yet, a methodological analysis of the literature testing these interventions, particularly the characteristics of the participant samples comprising this evidence base, is needed to contextualize our current understanding of treatment effects and highlight current gaps in the current evidence base to inform future research. This systematic quantitative methodology review characterized participants included in the mental health treatment research for autistic youth. One hundred and thirty-one articles testing mental health interventions for autism spectrum disorder were coded for youth, caregiver, and provider participant demographics. Findings indicated limited representation of females, transition age youth, racial/ethnic minority groups, and youth diverse in cognitive functioning and co-occurring mental health symptoms or conditions. Limited inclusion of providers’ representative of the clinical workforce was also noted. These results illuminate several critical gaps in the current evidence base for mental health interventions for autistic youth and provide recommendations for future research directions. Lay abstract Previous research has highlighted the importance of mental health treatment for autistic youth. In that research base, most studies focus on demonstrating the efficacy of a particular intervention with a sample of autistic youth. However, understanding the characteristics of samples used within these studies (i.e. demographics) is an important avenue for expanding this research to a more diverse, representative sample of autistic youth in community settings. As such, the current review examined and characterized participants included within mental health treatment research. We coded studies for various demographics among the youth sample, caregivers, and providers participants. Results indicated that while efforts have been made to increase diversity in research, very few studies including transition-aged youth, those identifying as female, and/or those identifying as non-Caucasian. Clinically, a few studies included youth with lower cognitive abilities and/or those with specific mental health problems (e.g. trauma and depression) or more than one co-occurring mental health conditions. Overall, our results highlight several critical gaps in our current evidence base regarding mental health treatment for autistic youth, including the limited clinical representativeness of both provider and child participants.


2021 ◽  
pp. 177-192
Author(s):  
Brad Donohue ◽  
Gavin Breslin ◽  
Shane Murphy

This chapter examines contemporaneous theories, methodologies, and applied interventions specific to mental health in sport. First, contributions in the field are summarized, including mental health awareness programs designed to destigmatize mental health disorders in athletes, screening instruments experimentally developed to identify athletes who are likely to benefit from mental health services, assessment methods that have been psychometrically validated to assist intervention planning, interventions that have been indicated to assist engagement of athletes into mental health interventions, and prevention and intervention programs that have been shown to prevent or decrease the severity of mental health symptomology. Five seminal readings that are specific to advancing mental health in athletes are offered. These readings complement five questions that are presented to stimulate clinical and experimental growth in the mental health of athletes, including the scientific development of cost-effective methods of addressing mental health in sport organizations and disseminating evidence-supported mental health interventions in athletes.


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