Workplace Health Promotion and Mental Health: Three-Year Findings from Partnering Healthy@Work

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between mental health and comprehensive workplace health promotion (WHP) delivered to an entire state public service workforce (~28,000 employees) over a three-year period. Government departments in a state public service were supported to design and deliver a comprehensive, multi-component health promotion program, Healthy@Work, which targeted modifiable health risks including unhealthy lifestyles and stress. Repeated cross-sectional surveys compared self-reported psychological distress (Kessler-10; K10) at commencement (N = 3406) and after 3 years (N = 3228). WHP availability and participation over time was assessed, and associations between the K10 and exposure to programs estimated. Analyses were repeated for a cohort subgroup (N = 580). Data were weighted for non-response. Participation in any mental health and lifestyle programs approximately doubled after 3 years. Both male and female employees with poorer mental health participated more often over time. Women’s psychological distress decreased over time but this change was only partially attributable to participation in WHP, and only to lifestyle interventions. Average psychological distress did not change over time for men. Unexpectedly, program components directly targeting mental health were not associated with distress for either men or women. Cohort results corroborated findings. Healthy@Work was successful in increasing participation across a range of program types, including for men and women with poorer mental health. A small positive association of participation in lifestyle programs with mental health was observed for women but not men. The lack of association of mental health programs may have reflected program quality, its universality of application or other contextual factors.

Changes in Behaviors and Outcomes Among School-Based Employees in a Wellness Program

“…Several small improvements in mental health outcomes (stress, depression, and life-satisfaction) were also shown in the present study. These results were generally consistent with other studies that have examined the effect of various worksite interventions on similar outcomes (Chu, Koh, Moy, & Muller-Riemenschneider, 2014; Czabala, Charzynska, & Mroziak, 2011; Jarman et al, 2016). For example, Chu et al (2014) reviewed multiple studies and not only reported an association between worksite physical activity programs and decreased depression symptoms but also noted that “their impact on stress relief is less conclusive.” A review of worksite wellness programs on multiple outcomes by Osilla et al (2012) revealed that three of the four studies reporting mental health outcomes resulted in improvement in these outcomes.…”

Is higher resilience predictive of lower stress and better mental health among corporate executives?

“…In a previous study, designed as an online survey of workers, lower resilience similarly had a strong association with a higher prevalence of depression for environments with low and high work strain [30]. Given the high prevalence of stress in the corporate environment and mental health diagnoses in this executive population, promoting resilience at workplaces through organizational and individual interventions may be a strategy that helps buffer the negative consequences of workplace stress [67–72].…”

Don't show any sign of a chip in your armor : the communicative co-construction of mental health in correctional work

“…One such study tracked the association between mental health and a comprehensive workplace health promotion program over a three-year period and found that while women's psychological distress decreased over time, this change was only partially attributed to participation in the program. Men's psychological distress did not change over time with participation (Jarman et al, 2016).…”

“…There are a handful of studies that have measured the effectiveness of EAPs in ameliorating employee mental health challenges (Jarman, Martin, Venn, Otahal, Blizzard, Teale, & Sanderson, 2016;Young, 1993). One such study tracked the association between mental health and a comprehensive workplace health promotion program over a three-year period and found that while women's psychological distress decreased over time, this change was only partially attributed to participation in the program.…”

“…Often these studies and others use the term mental illness and mental health interchangeably (e.g., Goldman & Grob, 2006;Jane-Llopis, Anderson, Stewart-Brown, Weare, Wahlbeck, McDaid, & Cooper, 2011;Jarman, Martin, Venn, Otahal, Blizzard, Teale, & Sanderson, 2016;Jorm, 2015;Steel, Marnane, Iranpour, Chey, Jackson, Patel & Silove, 2014), failing to make a distinction between mental disorders and overall wellbeing. Other researchers have noted this shortcoming, arguing that mental health and mental illness have been conflated (Gilmour, 2014;Keyes, 2002;Keyes & Lopez, 2002).…”