‘Kindness by Post’: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Participatory Public Mental Health Project

Abstract

BackgroundRandom acts of kindness can improve wellbeing. However, less is known about the impacts of giving and receiving acts of kindness with strangers on wellbeing and loneliness. Therefore, this study’s objectives were to evaluate a participatory public mental health project involving sending and receiving a card with goodwill messages, to understand how such acts of kindness influence wellbeing and loneliness, and to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the project’s impacts.Materials and MethodsThis study was an analysis of anonymized service evaluation data collected in the ‘Kindness by Post’ (KBP) project in 2020. It used a mixed-methods single-group design and data from 289 participants. Changes in wellbeing, loneliness, sense of belonging and hope from baseline (12th–14th February) to follow-up (26th February–2nd March) were analyzed using linear or multinomial logistic regression. Regression models also examined the associations between changes in wellbeing and baseline loneliness or participation level. Free text responses about experiences and suggestions for the project were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants had a small, but statistically significant improvement, in wellbeing equating to 0.21 standard deviations (95% CI: 0.12–0.30) after taking part in the project, as well as improvements in loneliness, sense of belonging and hope. How lonely a participant was at baseline and whether participants both sent and received a kindness card were not associated with improvements in wellbeing. In the qualitative analysis, a desire to help others emerged as the main motivator to take part in the card exchange. Participants reported enhanced personal fulfillment, leading to improvements in wellbeing. Receiving a card could make people feel special and cherished, which was reported to establish a sense of connection with others, with potential benefits for reducing loneliness.ConclusionThis study provided preliminary evidence that the KBP project might improve wellbeing, loneliness, sense of belonging and hope. Sending a kindness card in this project played a predominant role in wellbeing enhancement, and receiving a kindness card could reduce loneliness. This study suggests that the KBP project can be replicated in more contexts in the future, and might improve wellbeing and loneliness in large communities.

A realist interview study of a participatory public mental health project “#KindnessByPost”

“…Our findings and consequent programme theory are also consistent with an earlier evaluation of KbP [12], which suggested that potential mechanisms for the intervention were pleasure in making and sending cards, individual fulfilment and appreciating other's thoughts and behaviours. Furthermore, quantitative findings from both that study as well as a more recent and larger evaluation [13] indicate that participation in KbP improved wellbeing and loneliness, and, in Wang et al [12], increased feelings of belonging.…”

“…Our findings and consequent programme theory are also consistent with an earlier evaluation of KbP [12], which suggested that potential mechanisms for the intervention were pleasure in making and sending cards, individual fulfilment and appreciating other's thoughts and behaviours. Furthermore, quantitative findings from both that study as well as a more recent and larger evaluation [13] indicate that participation in KbP improved wellbeing and loneliness, and, in Wang et al [12], increased feelings of belonging. Our findings reflect this: most participants in our study reported positive experiences of KbP, including that they enjoyed receiving something tangible in the post and it reminded them of kindness of strangers, they appreciated the sender making an effort with their card, that they liked feeling part of a community and looking at other's posts on social media, and that they often enjoyed the creative process of making a card themselves.…”

“…An evaluation of the KbP 2020 #GreatBritishValentine event [12] found significant improvements in people's feelings of wellbeing, loneliness, sense of belonging, and hope. Qualitative analysis of participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive.…”