Summary

Mental health is about how we think, feel, and behave. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems. They are often a reaction to challenging life events such as bereavement but can also be caused by work-related issues. Mental health issues and addiction are becoming increasingly prevalent with 1/5th of Canadians experiencing it.

A researcher from McMaster University created a technology based tool that will be developed as an adjunct to the Beyond Silence program. The Beyond Silence program is a mental health literacy training program customized for healthcare workers that is designed to promote early intervention and support within the workplace for any employee across the organization who may be struggling with mental health issues.

The online app will provide real-time mental health literacy education and support via a smartphone application. The target audience is employees in small, under-resourced healthcare facilities (e.g., Family health teams, long-term care homes, rural clinics). The app is designed to promote behaviour change (help-seeking and help-outreach) related to critical aspects of mental health literacy: How do I know if there is a problem? What do I say/do? What resources are available/applicable? In addition, it will provide an opportunity to link with trained peer educators for information and support.

Contact

Sunita Asrani
Associate Director, Business Development and Copyright