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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Sep;76(9):595-602.
doi: 10.1136/oemed-2019-105726.

Web-based decision aid tool for disclosure of a mental health condition in the workplace: a randomised controlled trial

Elizabeth Stratton  1   2 , Isabella Choi  3   2 , Rafael Calvo  4 , Ian Hickie  3 , Claire Henderson  5 , Samuel B Harvey  6   7   8 , Nicholas Glozier  3   2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Web-based decision aid tool for disclosure of a mental health condition in the workplace: a randomised controlled trial

Elizabeth Stratton et al. Occup Environ Med. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: Making decisions about disclosing a mental illness in the workplace is complicated. Decision aid tools are designed to help an individual make a specific choice. We developed a web-based decision aid to help inform decisions about disclosure for employees. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of this tool.

Method: We conducted a randomised controlled trial with recruitment, randomisation and data collection all online. Participants had access to the intervention for 2 weeks. Assessments occurred at baseline, postintervention and 6 weeks' follow-up. The primary outcome was decisional conflict. Secondary outcomes were stage and satisfaction of decision-making and mental health symptoms.

Results: 107 adult employees were randomised to READY (n=53) or the control (n=54). The sample was predominantly female (83.2%). Participants using READY showed greater reduction in decisional conflict at postintervention (F(1,104)=16.8, p<0.001) (d=0.49, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9) and follow-up (F(1,104)=23.6, p<0.001) (d=0.61, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9). At postintervention the READY group were at a later stage of decision-making (F(1,104)=6.9, p=0.010) which was sustained, and showed a greater reduction in depressive symptoms (F(1,104)=6.5, p=0.013). Twenty-eight per cent of READY users disclosed, and reported a greater improvement in mental health than those who did not disclose.

Conclusions: READY provides a confidential, flexible and effective tool to enhance employee's decision-making about disclosure. Its use led to a comparative improvement in depressive symptoms compared with the current information provided by a leading mental health non-governmental organisation, without apparent harm. READY seems worth evaluating in other settings and, if these results are replicated, scaling for wider use.

Trial registration number: ACTRN12618000229279.

Keywords: decision aid; disclosure; employee; mental health condition; workplace.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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