NCT05154019

Managing Minds at Work: A Feasibility Pilot Trial

Completed NA Last updated 21 December 2023

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Managing Minds at Work Online Training in Occupational Stress in 224 participants. Completed in 30 June 2023.

Timeline

20 October 2021

Primary endpoint
31 May 2023

30 June 2023

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Nottingham
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	crossover
Masking	none
Primary purpose	supportive care
Enrollment	224
Start date	20 October 2021
Primary completion	31 May 2023
Estimated completion	30 June 2023
Sites	1 location across United Kingdom

Drugs / interventions tested

• Managing Minds at Work Online Training

Conditions studied

• Occupational Stress — all drugs for Occupational Stress →
• Occupational Neurosis — all drugs for Occupational Neurosis →
• Mental Health Wellness 1 — all drugs for Mental Health Wellness 1 →
• Absence — all drugs for Absence →

Sponsor

University of Nottingham

Who can join

18 and older, any sex, with Occupational Stress or Occupational Neurosis. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

This feasibility pilot cluster RCT aims to pilot and feasibility test an online training toolkit (Managing Minds at Work) for line managers to develop their knowledge and confidence in preventing work-related stress and promoting mental health at work. The setting is work organisations of different types and sectors across the Midlands region of the United Kingdom. Participants must have direct managerial or supervisor responsibilities for 3 or more staff members.

The intervention consists of five modules of online learning: Looking after your own Mental Health; Designing and managing work to promote mental well-being; Management competencies to prevent work-related stress; Developing a psychologically safe work environment; Having conversations about mental health at work. Each module includes some descriptive content, interactive elements and opportunities for reflections, and take between 20-30 minutes to complete.

Participating organisations will be allocated to either the intervention or control arm. A waiting list control will be used, with line managers in the control organisations starting the intervention 3-months after baseline.

Data will be collected through online surveys with the intervention group at baseline, immediately post-intervention (around 6 weeks post baseline), 3-months follow-up and 6-months follow-up. Control group will complete the online surveys at baseline and 3-months (as they start the intervention) and immediately after completing the intervention. As a feasibility pilot study, analysis will be focused on acceptability of the intervention, feasibility of recruitment, retention and data collection, and estimating parameters for a larger trial. The primary outcome measure is line managers' confidence to create a mentally healthy workplace. The secondary outcomes line manger mental health knowledge, line manager workplace mental health literacy, line manager self-rating of behaviour. In addition, the direct reports of line managers will be invited to participate to assess the feasibility of collecting the outcome data related to: employee well-being, employee rating of line manager behaviour, employee sickness absence, employee productivity.

A process evaluation will be conducted to assess intervention acceptability, usability, implementation and effectiveness. Qualitative data will be collected via module feedback forms and in-depth interviews with a sample of line managers from the intervention arm and stakeholders.

Publications & conference data

3 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Managing Minds at Work: Development of a Digital Line Manager Training Program.
   Blake H, Vaughan B, Bartle C, Yarker J, et al · · 2022 · cited 15× · PMID 35805665 · DOI 10.3390/ijerph19138006
2. Digital Training Program for Line Managers (Managing Minds at Work): Protocol for a Feasibility Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.
   Thomson L, Hassard J, Frost A, Bartle C, et al · · 2023 · cited 6× · PMID 37874612 · DOI 10.2196/48758
3. Web-Based Interactive Training for Managers (Managing Minds at Work) to Promote Mental Health at Work: Pilot Feasibility Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.
   Hassard J, Blake H, Dulal-Arthur TM, Frost A, et al · · 2025 · PMID 40896820 · DOI 10.2196/76373