Nurau Insights

Mental health interventions: face-to-face or online manager training?

We know that online manager trainings are a lot more cost-effective and scalable than face-to-face trainings, but are they as effective at affecting change? This study compares the data from HeadCoach (see Episode 12) with a face-to-face manager training amongst firefighters (Milligan-Saville et al., 2017). While both result in changes in manager confidence, only the face-to-face training saw differences in the sick leave of the employees.  We discuss the possible reasons for this difference and how Nurau strives to incorporate the best of both in our hybrid live online microlearnings. Link to article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782919300223

Mental health interventions: HeadCoach

Similar to “Managing Minds at Work”, “HeadCoach” is an online training module designed for managers that offer both responsive and preventive strategies when dealing with the mental health needs of their staff. HeadCoach both improved manager’s confidence and led to changes in their behavior compared to a control group, although it was unable to detect any change in employee health and wellbeing. We discuss the limitations of fully online trainings such as low adherence and the perpetual theory-to-practice gap that can plague such interventions. Link to article: https://europepmc.org/article/med/31045851

Mental health interventions: Managing Minds at Work

At Nurau, we believe in the power of educating managers through digital training so they can both prevent and manage mental ill-health at work. “Managing Minds at Work” is one of the few interventions that exist for line managers that is built on the same principle.  This article outlines the development process of their digital training program and evaluated the feasibility of implementation using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The intervention resulted in improvements in manager attitudes and behavioral intentions despite its small sample size and represents a positive step towards how digital manager training programs can be used to reduce stigma and promote mental wellbeing at work. Link to article: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/8006

Mental health interventions: the HAPPINESS pilot project

In the next few episodes, we cover some of the latest interventions designed to improve mental health. Whether you’re curious about which interventions are most effective or how Nurau compares to existing interventions, these next few episodes will acquaint you with how training, prevention, and social support can be used in conjunction to improve accessibility to good mental health care.  The first intervention we cover is the HAPPINESS pilot project, an initiative of the World Health Organization to scale up mental health care in communities, which trained non-specialist and primary health care workers in Nigeria in the detection, treatment and management of mental health disorders. Link to article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35279154/

Mental health in the workplace: a review of current literature

Where are we now and where do we go from here? We take a pause in this episode to talk through a 2023 review paper by Kelloway et al. on how the field of mental health in the workplace is evolving, especially after the COVID pandemic. We go through what mental health issues are costing the workplace and recommendations from the literature on how workplaces should be moving to address them.  Join us as we catch you up on the latest opinions in the field! Link to article: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050527 [https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050527]