Elsevier

Internet Interventions

Volume 18, December 2019, 100258
Internet Interventions

A comparison of face-to-face and online training in improving managers' confidence to support the mental health of workers

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2019.100258Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Managers are in a key position to create a mentally healthy workplace for the staff they supervise.

  • Manager confidence to discuss mental health issues with employees is a key predictor to changing behaviours.

  • In this study, manager confidence was compared following face-to-face and online methods of manager mental health training.

  • When completed, face-to-face and online mental health training result in similar increases in managers' confidence.

  • An RCT is required to determine the equivalence of both methods in their impacts on improving managers’ confidence.

Abstract

Background

In recognition of the important role managers play in the well-being of the staff they supervise, many workplaces are implementing specialised training for leaders to help them better understand and support the mental health needs of their staff. This training can be delivered through face-to-face or online training sessions. Evaluation of such programs have found positive results for each format when compared to a control group, but to date, face-to-face and online manager mental health training have not been compared with one another.

Aims

This study brings together results from two trials evaluating the same program content, each employing a different mode of content delivery. Both types of training aimed to change managers' confidence to better support the mental health needs of the staff they supervise.

Methods

Utilising data derived from two previously conducted trials, mean change in manager confidence from baseline at both post-intervention and follow-up were examined for each method of content delivery. An identical way of measuring confidence was used in each study.

Results

Managers' confidence improved from baseline with both methods of training. A greater change was observed with face-to-face training than for online, although both methods had sustained improvement over time. Analyses indicate that at follow-up, improvements in confidence were significant for both face-to-face (t18 = 5.99; P < .001) and online training (t39 = 3.85; P < .001). Analyses focused on managers who fully completed either type of training indicated very similar impacts for face-to-face and online training.

Conclusions

Both face-to-face and online delivery of manager mental health training can significantly improve managers’ confidence in supporting the mental health needs of their staff. This change is sustained over various follow-up periods. However, lower retention rates common in online training reduce the relative effect of this method of delivery.

Keywords

Manager
Supervisor training
Workplace mental health
Mental health education
Online intervention

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