Co-Creating and Evaluating an App-Based Well-Being Intervention: The HOW (Healthier Outcomes at Work) Social Work Project

Jermaine M. Ravalier; Elaine Wainwright; Nina Smyth; Oliver Clabburn; Paulina Wegrzynek; Mark Loon

doi:10.3390/ijerph17238730

Back

Co-Creating and Evaluating an App-Based Well-Being Intervention: The HOW (Healthier Outcomes at Work) Social Work Project

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Co-Creating and Evaluating an App-Based Well-Being Intervention: The HOW (Healthier Outcomes at Work) Social Work Project

Jermaine M. Ravalier, Elaine Wainwright, Nina Smyth, Oliver Clabburn, Paulina Wegrzynek and Mark Loon

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol.17(23), pp.1-15

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238730

PMID: 33255460

Files and links (1)

pdf

ijerph-17-08730559.12 kBDownload View

Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access

Abstract

well-being

working conditions

intervention

app

stress

mental health

Stress and mental health at work are the leading causes of long-term sickness absence in the UK, with chronically poor working conditions impacting employee physiological and psychological health. Social workers play a significant part in the fabric of UK society, but have one of the most stressful occupations in the country. The aim of this project was to work with UK social workers to co-develop, implement, and evaluate a series of smartphone-based mental health initiatives. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, consisting of semi-structured interviews and focus group and steering group discussions, was utilized to design the mental health and well-being interventions. Study efficacy was evaluated via a pre- and post-intervention survey and post-intervention semi-structured interviews. Interventions developed were psycho-educational, improved top-down and bottom-up communication, and provided access to a Vocational Rehabilitation Assistant for those struggling and at risk of sickness absence. Six months following dissemination, surveys demonstrated significant improvements in communication, and mean score improvements in four other working conditions. This project, therefore, demonstrates that co-developed initiatives can be positively impactful, despite post-intervention data collection being impacted by COVID-19. Future studies should build upon these findings and broaden the PAR approach nationally while taking a robust approach to evaluation.

Details

Title: Co-Creating and Evaluating an App-Based Well-Being Intervention: The HOW (Healthier Outcomes at Work) Social Work Project
Authors: Jermaine M. Ravalier (Corresponding Author) - Bath Spa University
Elaine Wainwright - Bath Spa University
Nina Smyth - University of Westminster
Oliver Clabburn - Wellcome Centre of Cultures and Environments of Health
Paulina Wegrzynek - Bath Spa University
Mark Loon - Bath Spa University
Publication details: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol.17(23), pp.1-15
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date published: 2020
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238730
ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827
PMID: 33255460
Copyright note: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Grant note: This work was supported by the Department for Work and Pensions/Department for Health and Social Care Challenge Fund, award number 100038.
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991066183502621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

1 File views/ downloads

11 Record Views

6 Times Cited - Web of Science

See more details

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Sciences; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health