Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Telecoaching Delivered Through an Employer-Sponsored Mental Health Benefits Platform.

Introduction: Coaches delivering telemental health services as part of an employer-sponsored benefit may increase access to affordable and effective care. We examined the effectiveness of evidence-based telecoaching delivered via videoconferencing to people requesting mental health services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from 1,228 employees (mean age = 35 ± 8 years; 67.2% female) who utilized telecoaching through the Modern Health benefits platform between March 11, 2020 and March 11, 2021. We used paired samples t tests to examine changes in well-being, burnout, absenteeism, and presenteeism before and after telecoaching and moderated regressions to test whether these changes depended on visit utilization. We analyzed rates of clinical improvement for well-being and reduction from entry in symptoms for burnout. We conducted analyses in the full sample and participants presenting with elevated symptoms at baseline. Results: Participants utilized an average of 2.6 visits. Well-being (p = 0.02) significantly increased, while both presenteeism (p < 0.001) and absenteeism (p < 0.001) significantly decreased at follow-up in our full sample, but represented negligible effect sizes. Burnout was not found to have significantly changed at follow-up in our full sample (p = 0.69). In participants beginning care with elevated depressive-related symptoms, well-being significantly increased (p < 0.001) and 46.3% experienced a clinically relevant improvement. In participants beginning care with elevated levels of burnout, burnout significantly decreased (p < 0.001) and 20.9% experienced a reduction in symptoms from entry. Conclusions: Leveraging videoconferencing, telecoaching had positive effects on mental health and workplace outcomes, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence-based telecoaching represents a promising option for achieving optimal outcomes in people who need mental health services.

Hematologic, serum biochemical, and cortisol changes associated with anticipation of exercise and short duration high-intensity exercise in sled dogs.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have demonstrated changes in clinicopathologic variables in response to exercise in athletic dogs. These changes have been attributed to the duration and intensity of exercise. However, inconsistencies in the timing of collection of resting blood samples can be a confounding variable when interpreting results. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine whether hematologic and biochemical data in sled dogs are influenced by (1) anticipation of an exercise event or (2) short-duration high-intensity exercise. METHODS: Blood samples were collected into EDTA tubes and tubes without anticoagulant from sled dogs at rest, immediately before a 3-mile run (preexercise), and immediately after the run (postexercise). A CBC, biochemical profile (including electrolytes, glucose, proteins, creatinine, urea, enzymes, cholesterol, and total bilirubin), and serum cortisol concentration were measured using standard methods on automated analyzers. RESULTS: Significant increases in sodium, chloride, albumin, calcium, and cortisol concentration were observed in preexercise samples when compared with resting samples. Hyperglycemia and a further rise in serum cortisol concentration occurred immediately postexercise. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that anticipation of exercise affects several biochemical analytes, emphasizing the importance of appropriate timing of baseline blood samples. The pronounced hyperglycemia immediately after short-duration exercise may be a breed- or exercise-dependent phenomenon.