Managers welcomed mental health training, but employee outcomes remained inconclusive
A workplace pilot found the online program acceptable and recorded improvements in managers' questionnaires, while longer follow-up and employee data collection proved difficult.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
This pilot primarily tested whether online training for managers and a larger evaluation were workable. Managers generally found the program usable and useful, and their questionnaire scores improved. However, employee outcomes were inconclusive and later follow-up participation was poor. The study therefore supports further evaluation more clearly than a claim of improved employee mental health.
Manager retention fell to 24.6% at 6 months, and collecting employee data was difficult. These gaps limit conclusions about sustained changes and whether managers' reported gains translated into better outcomes for their teams.
What changed for managers
Questionnaires covered confidence in creating a mentally healthy workplace, mental health knowledge, personal well-being and workplace mental health literacy. Reported average changes were more favorable in the training group, but these measures do not directly establish benefits for employees.
Feasibility includes keeping people involved
Recruitment exceeded expectations, and feedback on the training was positive. Yet time pressure and workload made completion harder, while later retention was weak. Those practical findings matter when judging whether the program can be evaluated successfully at larger scale.
The original publication
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 et al.
JMIR Ment Health · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40896820
- Record checked
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