A Brief, Daily, Online Mental Health and Well-being Intervention for University Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Program Description and Outcomes Using a Mixed Methods Design

Alexandra Parker; Sarah Dash; Matthew Bourke; Rhiannon Patten; Melinda Craike; Peter Baldwin; Warwick Hosking; Itamar Levinger; Vasso Apostolopoulos; Maximilian de Courten; Jenny Sharples; Monika Naslund; Vasileios Stavropoulos; Mary Woessner; Christopher Sonn; Caroline Stansen; Michaela Pascoe

doi:10.2196/35776

A Brief, Daily, Online Mental Health and Well-being Intervention for University Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Program Description and Outcomes Using a Mixed Methods Design

JMIR Form Res. 2022 Feb 25;6(2):e35776. doi: 10.2196/35776.

Authors

Alexandra Parker^{1

2}, Sarah Dash¹, Matthew Bourke¹, Rhiannon Patten¹, Melinda Craike^{1

3}, Peter Baldwin^{1

4}, Warwick Hosking¹, Itamar Levinger^{1

5}, Vasso Apostolopoulos¹, Maximilian de Courten³, Jenny Sharples¹, Monika Naslund¹, Vasileios Stavropoulos¹, Mary Woessner¹, Christopher Sonn¹, Caroline Stansen¹, Michaela Pascoe^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
² Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Mitchell Institute, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Black Dog Institute, Sydney, Australia.
⁵ Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Department of Medicine, Western Health, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia.

PMID: 35044304
PMCID: PMC8887557
DOI: 10.2196/35776

Abstract

Background: The unprecedented changes and isolation measures to contain COVID-19 have had multiple psychological and social impacts, with implications for professional and personal functioning. Evidence-informed interventions that can be rapidly implemented under pandemic conditions to support mental health during such times are urgently needed.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the acceptability and preliminary outcomes of a daily online mental health promotion program for tertiary education staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The "Victoria University (VU) Elevenses" program was delivered as an uncontrolled intervention at Victoria University (VU) in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne, Australia. In April 2020, an email invitation was sent to all academic and professional staff inviting them to: (1) participate in the program and (2) opt-in to the research component. The "VU Elevenses" program provided 10-15-minute microinterventions comprising lifestyle and well-being strategies to promote mental health via an online meeting platform at 11 AM each weekday. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the program, combining structured questionnaires with semistructured interviews to investigate the experiences of staff who participated in the program.

Results: Between 16 and 90 participants provided weekly program feedback. A total of 106 university staff opted into the longitudinal research component and 10 staff participated in the interviews. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with sessions and perceived benefits for mental health. Approximately one quarter of participants reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress at baseline, with significant reductions in these symptoms in the first 7 weeks of the program, corresponding with easing in mandatory isolation ("lockdown") restrictions. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress all increased when lockdown measures were reintroduced, but not to the same levels as found during the initial lockdown period. Overall changes in depression and anxiety from baseline to the end of the program were explained by changes in COVID-19-related distress, whereas changes in self-compassion explained changes in stress.

Conclusions: We show that it is feasible and acceptable to develop and deliver a program of brief interventions in a timely manner, using a simple and accessible online platform. Although participation in the program was initially associated with reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, participants' mental health worsened with the reintroduction of a "lockdown" period. However, as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress did not return to levels observed at the start of the VU Elevenses program, participation in the uncontrolled intervention may have offered a protective benefit against the impact of the second significant lockdown period.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 pandemic; health promotion; mental health promotion; online intervention; pandemic; telehealth; well-being; workplace mental health.

©Alexandra Parker, Sarah Dash, Matthew Bourke, Rhiannon Patten, Melinda Craike, Peter Baldwin, Warwick Hosking, Itamar Levinger, Vasso Apostolopoulos, Maximilian de Courten, Jenny Sharples, Monika Naslund, Vasileios Stavropoulos, Mary Woessner, Christopher Sonn, Caroline Stansen, Michaela Pascoe. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 25.02.2022.