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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Oct;96(8):1149-1165.
doi: 10.1007/s00420-023-01996-3. Epub 2023 Jul 14.

Outcome assessment of a complex mental health intervention in the workplace. Results from the MENTUPP pilot study

Fotini Tsantila  1 , Evelien Coppens  2 , Hans De Witte  3   4 , Ella Arensman  5   6   7 , Benedikt Amann  8   9   10   11 , Arlinda Cerga-Pashoja  12 , Paul Corcoran  5   6 , Johanna Creswell-Smith  13 , Grace Cully  5   6 , Monika Ditta Toth  14 , Birgit Greiner  5 , Eve Griffin  5   6 , Ulrich Hegerl  15   16 , Carolyn Holland  6 , Caleb Leduc  5   6 , Mallorie Leduc  6 , Doireann Ni Dhalaigh  6 , Cliodhna O'Brien  6 , Charlotte Paterson  17 , György Purebl  14 , Hanna Reich  18   19 , Victoria Ross  7 , Reiner Rugulies  20   21 , Sarita Sanches  22   23 , Katherine Thompson  24 , Chantal Van Audenhove  2   25 ; MENTUPP consortium members
Collaborators, Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Outcome assessment of a complex mental health intervention in the workplace. Results from the MENTUPP pilot study

Fotini Tsantila et al. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2023 Oct.

Erratum in

  • Correction: Outcome assessment of a complex mental health intervention in the workplace. Results from the MENTUPP pilot study.
    Tsantila F, Coppens E, De Witte H, Arensman E, Amann B, Cerga-Pashoja A, Corcoran P, Creswell-Smith J, Cully G, Toth MD, Greiner B, Griffin E, Hegerl U, Holland C, Leduc C, Leduc M, Ni Dhalaigh D, O'Brien C, Paterson C, Purebl G, Reich H, Ross V, Rugulies R, Sanches S, Thompson K, Van Audenhove C; MENTUPP consortium members. Tsantila F, et al. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2023 Dec;96(10):1401-1402. doi: 10.1007/s00420-023-02016-0. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2023. PMID: 37816909 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

Objective: Multicomponent interventions are recommendable to achieve the greatest mental health benefits, but are difficult to evaluate due to their complexity. Defining long-term outcomes, arising from a Theory of Change (ToC) and testing them in a pilot phase, is a useful approach to plan a comprehensive and meaningful evaluation later on. This article reports on the pilot results of an outcome evaluation of a complex mental health intervention and examines whether appropriate evaluation measures and indicators have been selected ahead of a clustered randomised control trial (cRCT).

Methods: The MENTUPP pilot is an evidence-based intervention for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) active in three work sectors and nine countries. Based on our ToC, we selected the MENTUPP long-term outcomes, which are reported in this article, are measured with seven validated scales assessing mental wellbeing, burnout, depression, anxiety, stigma towards depression and anxiety, absenteeism and presenteeism. The pilot MENTUPP intervention assessment took place at baseline and at 6 months follow-up.

Results: In total, 25 SMEs were recruited in the MENTUPP pilot and 346 participants completed the validated scales at baseline and 96 at follow-up. Three long-term outcomes significantly improved at follow-up (p < 0.05): mental wellbeing, symptoms of anxiety, and personal stigmatising attitudes towards depression and anxiety.

Conclusions: The results of this outcome evaluation suggest that MENTUPP has the potential to strengthen employees' wellbeing and decrease anxiety symptoms and stigmatising attitudes. Additionally, this study demonstrates the utility of conducting pilot workplace interventions to assess whether appropriate measures and indicators have been selected. Based on the results, the intervention and the evaluation strategy have been optimised.

Keywords: MENTUPP; Mental health interventions; Outcome evaluation; SMEs; Theory of change; Workplace interventions.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

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