Thriving At Work: Evaluating a New Psychological Health Training Program

  • Maria is a second-year Ph.D. student in Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. She holds an MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation from the University of Oxford and has over a decade of experience in applied and community-based health research with a human rights focus. Supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Doctoral Fellowship, Maria's doctoral studies examine the intersection of the mental health and youth justice systems in Manitoba. She strives to inform transformative, evidence-based solutions that promote equity.

As the leading cause of disability, mental illness costs Canada an estimated $51 billion per year. Workplaces play a crucial role in mitigating risk factors and fostering positive psychological health and safety, but they require appropriate training and support. In 2013, championed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) was established. Despite this, adoption across Canada has been limited. A 2018 study found that of 1,010 companies surveyed, only 17% were aware of the Standard, and less than 2% had undergone full implementation.

In response, the Canadian Mental Health Association Manitoba-Winnipeg, with Red River College Polytechnique, developed the first micro-credential aimed at promoting psychological health and safety in the workplace. This project conducts a formative evaluation of this training intervention to enhance workplace psychological health and promote the Standard's implementation.

Adapting Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Training Evaluation Model, the evaluation aims to capture the reaction, learning, behaviour, and results of the training on participants and their workplaces. The goal is to provide recommendations for the ongoing improvement of the micro-credential’s effectiveness, design, and implementation. This study addresses the knowledge gap in psychological safety education in Canada, offering an evidence-informed approach to workplace mental health. The results have the potential to support the broad dissemination and scaling of this micro-credential across Canada.

This project is co-funded in partnership with Mitacs and iA Financial Group.