Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Monash Business School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Nov 16;23(1):2258. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-17170-w.
A critical policy issue in Australia and worldwide is the escalating rates of work-related mental injury that have been linked to the lack of help-seeking behaviours of at-risk workers. Strategic alliances between community organisations, statutory bodies, and mental health service providers could expand the efficacy and reach of mental health literacy and peer support initiatives that can encourage help-seeking, however, there is limited evidence to support the development of such approaches. This study used a qualitative design based on collaboration theory to explore the factors influencing community organisation leaders' decisions to provide such initiatives through collaboration with relevant third parties.
Repositories of submissions into mental health reviews and publicly available registers in Australia were used to identify twenty-two participant organisations (n = 22), which were categorised according to the International Classification of Non-Profit Organisations (Culture & Recreation, Social Services, and Development & Housing). Eleven of these organisations demonstrated an interest in collaborating with third parties and extending efforts to deliver work-related mental health initiatives through contributions to mental health reviews. Leaders were interviewed to understand differences in perspectives on potential collaborations.
Organisations that did not make submissions were reluctant to engage in such efforts due to limitations in expertise/capacity, and perceived mission misalignment. Third-party support from statutory bodies and mental health service providers addressing these perceived limitations may improve their confidence, and willingness to engage. Regardless of their category, all considered the benefit of such collaboration included improving the acceptability, approachability, availability, and efficacy of work-related mental health initiatives. Equity was seen as supporting decision-making/leadership, while power imbalance was a barrier. Third-party contributions that could facilitate collaboration included expert support/credibility, administration, formal structures, supportive policy, and joining networks, however, red tape was a challenge. Shared values, vision, practice, and networking were identified as supporting positive communication and interpersonal relations.
The study establishes that, adequately supported and resourced, community organisations are willing to align strategically with statutory bodies and mental health service providers to use their unique position in the community to deliver work-related mental health literacy and peer support programmes for at-risk workers to improve help-seeking behaviours.
在澳大利亚和全球范围内，一个关键的政策问题是与高危工人寻求帮助行为不足相关的工作相关精神伤害率不断上升。社区组织、法定机构和精神卫生服务提供者之间的战略联盟可以扩大心理健康素养和同伴支持计划的效果和覆盖面，从而鼓励寻求帮助，但支持此类方法发展的证据有限。本研究采用基于合作理论的定性设计，探讨影响社区组织领导者通过与相关第三方合作提供此类举措的决策的因素。
使用澳大利亚心理健康审查提交的资源库和公开可用的登记处来确定 22 个参与组织（n=22），这些组织根据国际非营利组织分类（文化与娱乐、社会服务和发展与住房）进行分类。其中 11 个组织表示有兴趣与第三方合作，并通过对心理健康审查的贡献来扩大提供与工作相关的心理健康倡议的努力。对领导者进行了访谈，以了解他们对潜在合作的看法差异。
未提交申请的组织由于专业知识/能力有限以及认为使命不相符，不愿做出此类努力。来自法定机构和精神卫生服务提供者的第三方支持，可以解决这些问题，从而提高他们的信心和合作意愿。无论其类别如何，所有组织都认为这种合作的好处包括提高工作相关心理健康倡议的可接受性、可接近性、可用性和效果。公平被视为支持决策/领导力，而权力不平衡则是一个障碍。可以促进合作的第三方贡献包括专家支持/可信度、管理、正式结构、支持性政策和加入网络，但繁文缛节是一个挑战。共同的价值观、愿景、实践和网络被确定为支持积极的沟通和人际关系。
该研究表明，在得到充分支持和资源的情况下，社区组织愿意与法定机构和精神卫生服务提供者进行战略性结盟，利用其在社区中的独特地位，为高危工人提供工作相关心理健康素养和同伴支持计划，以改善寻求帮助的行为。
