Primary healthcare provider experience of knowledge brokering interventions for mood management.

Background: Knowledge brokering is a knowledge translation strategy used in healthcare settings to facilitate the implementation of evidence into practice. How healthcare providers perceive and respond to various knowledge translation approaches is not well understood. This qualitative study used the Theoretical Domains Framework to examine healthcare providers' experiences with receiving one of two knowledge translation strategies: a remote knowledge broker (rKB); or monthly emails, for encouraging delivery of mood management interventions to patients enrolled in a smoking cessation program. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 healthcare providers recruited from primary care teams. We used stratified purposeful sampling to recruit participants who were allocated to receive either the rKB, or a monthly email-based knowledge translation strategy as part of a cluster randomized controlled trial. Interviews were structured around domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to explore determinants influencing practice change. Data were coded into relevant domains. Results: Both knowledge translation strategies were considered helpful prompts to remind participants to deliver mood interventions to patients presenting depressive symptoms. Neither strategy appeared to have influenced the health care providers on the domains we probed. The domains pertaining to knowledge and professional identity were perceived as facilitators to implementation, while domains related to beliefs about consequences, emotion, and environmental context acted as barriers and/or facilitators to healthcare providers implementing mood management interventions. Conclusion: Both strategies served as reminders and reinforced providers' knowledge regarding the connection between smoking and depressed mood. The TDF can help researchers better understand the influence of specific knowledge translation strategies on healthcare provider behavior change, as well as potential barriers and facilitators to implementation of evidence-informed interventions. Environmental context should be considered to address challenges and facilitate the movement of knowledge into clinical practice.

An e-Mental Health Resource for COVID-19-Associated Stress Reduction: Mixed Methods Study of Reach, Usability, and User Perceptions.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 and its public health response are having a profound effect on people's mental health. To provide support during these times, Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health [CAMH]) launched the Mental Health and COVID-19 Pandemic website on March 18, 2020. This website was designed to be a nonstigmatizing psychoeducational resource for people experiencing mild to moderate distress due to COVID-19 and the public health response to the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the reach, usability, and user perceptions of the CAMH Mental Health and COVID-19 Pandemic website. METHODS: This study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design approach, which consisted of the following 2 distinct phases: (1) quantitative data collection and analysis and (2) qualitative semistructured interviews. In phase 1, we analyzed Google Analytics data to understand how many people visited the website and which were the most visited pages. We conducted a survey to identify users' sociodemographic backgrounds, and assess the usability of the website using the System Usability Scale and users' subjective stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). For phase 2, we conducted semistructured interviews to explore user experiences; user motivation, engagement, satisfaction, and perception of the stress reduction strategies; reflections of the website's functionality, ease of use, navigation, and design; and recommendations for improvement. RESULTS: Google Analytics results showed 146,978 unique users from June 2020 to March 2021. Most users were from Canada (130,066, 88.5%). Between February 20, 2021, and June 4, 2021, 152 users completed the survey. Most users identified as white, female, and having at least a college degree. Based on the PSS-10 scores, most participants were experiencing moderate to high stress when they visited the website. Users rated the usability of the website as acceptable. Ten users completed in-depth interviews between May 2021 and June 2021. Positive feedback related to the content was that the website was a trustworthy source of mental health information with helpful evidence-based stress reduction strategies. Areas for improvement included the text heavy design of the website, wider dissemination/marketing, and greater accessibility of the website to meet the needs of diverse populations. CONCLUSIONS: Adding stress reduction resources to a website from a well-respected institution may be a practical method to increase awareness and access to evidence-based stress reduction resources during times of crisis, where there is severe disruption to usual health care contacts. Efforts to ensure that these resources are more widely accessed, especially by diverse populations, are needed.

Video Game to Attenuate Pandemic-Related Stress From an Equity Lens: Development and Usability Study.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has introduced additional pressures on an already fragile mental health care system due to a significant rise in depression, anxiety, and stress among Canadians. Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is known to be an efficacious treatment to reduce such mental health issues, few people have access to CBT in an engaging and sustainable manner. To address this gap, a collaboration between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) developed CBT-based self-led, online, clinician-tested modules in the form of a video game, named Legend of Evelys, and evaluated its usability in the attenuation of a COVID-19-related increase in stress. OBJECTIVE: We here present the conceptualization and design of new self-care modules in the form of a video game, its implementation in a technological infrastructure, and inclusivity and privacy considerations that informed the development. A usability study of the modules was performed to assess the video game's usability, user engagement, and user perceptions. METHODS: The development of the video game involved establishment of a technology infrastructure for secure implementation of the software for the modules and a clinician-led assessment of the clinical utility of these modules through two "whiteboard" sessions. The usability study was informed by a mixed methods sequential explanatory design to evaluate the intervention of the mobile app through two distinct phases: quantitative data collection using in-app analytics data and two surveys, followed by qualitative data collection by semistructured interviews. RESULTS: A total of 32 participants trialed the app for 2 weeks. They used the video game an average of six times and rated the game as "good" based on the Systems Usability Scale score. In terms of stress reduction, the study demonstrated a significant difference in the participants' Perceived Stress Scale score at baseline (mean 22.14, SD 6.187) compared with that at the 2-week follow-up (mean 18.04, SD 6.083; t27=3.628, P=.001). Qualitative interviews helped participants identify numerous functionality issues and provided specific recommendations, most of which were successfully integrated into the video game for future release. CONCLUSIONS: Through this collaboration, we have established that it is possible to incorporate CBT exercises into a video game and have these exercises adopted to address stress. While video games are a promising strategy to help people with their stress and anxiety, there is a further need to examine the real-world effectiveness of the Legend of Evelys in reducing anxiety.

Increasing capacity to address the physical health needs of patients in a mental health and addictions hospital.

PURPOSE: This paper describes the strategy and outcomes of a quality improvement initiative focused on building the capacity of nurses at a mental health and addictions teaching hospital to provide an improved standard of physical health care. Education was provided via a series of e-learning modules and interactive workshops. To reinforce the education and enhance practice change, improvements were made to electronic documentation templates and organizational standards. Further, the organization provided increased access to physical health equipment, a mobile application to support assessments and a reference card for lanyards. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses identified increased confidence in performing physical assessments, and documentation improved with standards and automated forced functionality in the electronic health record. Ultimately, the organization successfully implemented a multifaceted strategy to improve physical healthcare services for people with mental health and substance use concerns. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Organizational investment can lead to sustainable changes in nursing confidence and increased physical health assessment completion.

An Immersive Simulation to Build Empathy for Geriatric Patients with Co-Occurring Physical and Mental Illness.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to explore the effectiveness of an immersive simulation experience using an aging simulation suit for fostering empathy towards geriatric patients with advanced mental illness. METHOD: Psychiatry residents were recruited during their clinical rotations at a Canadian mental health hospital. The participants took on the first-person perspective of a geriatric patient with mental illness initially through written reflection, and then physically inhabited this role by wearing an aging simulation suit to perform the task of meeting with a pharmacist to review current medications and prepare a dosette. Concurrently, an audio file was played through headphones to simulate auditory hallucinations. A pre- and post-Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), reflective writing exercise, debrief transcription, and evaluation questionnaire were used to evaluate the intervention. Interviews conducted 3 month post-intervention explored its impact on their clinical practice. RESULTS: Fifteen psychiatry residents completed the study. There was a significant increase in JSE scores pre (M = 115.5, SD = 13.2) to post (M = 119.2, SD = 12.7) intervention, t(14) = 2.65, p = .02. The qualitative findings of the study demonstrated participants' improved understanding and awareness of the patient perspective and the ability to communicate this understanding and show intentions to help through practice change. CONCLUSION: An aging suit simulation with debriefing may be an effective educational intervention to incorporate into the medical curriculum to foster empathy for this stigmatized population.