[IC FINALS] L3: Designing Mental Health Programs and Interventions

Psychosocial Risk Assessments (PRA)

• A systematic process of identifying workplace hazards that harm mental well-being.

Psychosocial Risk Assessments (PRA)

• This process must be part of a company’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) program.

Psychosocial Risk Assessments (PRA)

• It relies on companies’ proactive approach for both the identification of risks and protective measures.

using Validated Scales and analyzing Business Metrics

Quantitative ways to gather data in conducting Psychosocial Risk Assessments (PRA)

Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire

(COPSOQ), Maslach Burnout Inventory

(MBI-GS)

2 Examples of Validated Scales for Quantitative Data Gathering in Psychosocial Risk Assessments

Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire

Conducting Psychosocial Risk Assessments (PRA)

What does COPSOQ stand for?

Maslach Burnout Inventory

Conducting Psychosocial Risk Assessments (PRA)

What does MBI-GS stand for?

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Exit Interviews

Example of Qualitative Data Gathering methods in Psychosocial Risk Assessments

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)

Conducting Psychosocial Risk Assessments (PRA)

• Facilitated by a neutral third party to ensure psychological safety.

Exit Interviews

Conducting Psychosocial Risk Assessments (PRA)

• The most honest data point. Why did the top performer really leave?

Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model

• A theory by Demerouti et al. (2001) stating that every job has two working conditions: Demands and Resources. Burnout or engagement results from their balance.

Demerouti et al. (2001)

Who is the proponent of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model?

Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model

Organizations use this model to reduce burnout and enhance employee well-being by balancing the environment.

Job Demands (The Drainers)

Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model

• Refers to physical, psychological, or social aspects requiring sustained effort. (e.g. 3-hour commutes, irate customers, panganay pressure, unpaid overtime (“OT-TY”).

Job Demands

Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model

• Refers to:

  • Short deadlines

  • High volumes of work

  • Complex Tasks

  • Limited Autonomy

  • Emotional Labour

  • Role Ambiguity

Job Resources (The Energizers)

Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model

• Aspects that help achieve goals, reduce demands, or stimulate growth. (e.g. supportive work friends, clear KPIs, flexible work hours, HMO benefits for dependents.)

Job Resources

• Refers to:

  • Enhanced autonomy

  • Well-being programs

  • Training & Development

  • Feedback Strategies

  • Social Support

  • Career Opportunities

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

• __________ in IO Psychology is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about organizational interventions.

Scientific literature: peer-reviewed studies, Organizational data: internal metrics, Stakeholder values: company culture and vision

What is the triad of EBP?

Intuition-Driven

Data-Driven VS. Intuition-Driven

• Ex. “Our employees look stressed. Let’s buy them all a subscription to a meditation app.”

Data-Driven

Data-Driven VS. Intuition-Driven

• Ex. “Our HR data shows a 30% spike in sick leaves on Mondays, specifically in the Logistics department. Let’s investigate the Sunday shift demands.”

Maximizes ROI, Prevents “Initiative Fatigue”, Establishes Clear KPIs, Executive Buy-in

4 Reasons Why Organizations Demand EBP and Data

Initiative Fatigue

Why Organizations Demand EBP and Data

• When HR launches a new, unresearched wellness program every month that fails to fix the root problem, employees develop cynicism. They stop participating entirely.

Executive Buy-in

Why Organizations Demand EBP and Data

• CEOs speak the language of numbers. You cannot secure a budget for mental health by saying, “It’s the right thing to do.” You secure it by saying, “The data shows this intervention will save us P2 million in lost productivity.”

Policy, Skills, Treatment

What are the 3 Levels of Prevention Framework?

Primary Prevention (Policy Level)

The 3 Levels of Prevention Framework

• Eliminating the hazard at the source. (Fixing the workplace).

Secondary Prevention (Skills Level)

The 3 Levels of Prevention Framework

• Changing how employees react to the hazard. (Equipping the group).

Tertiary Prevention (Treatment Level)

The 3 Levels of Prevention Framework

• Healing the employees who have already been harmed. (Restoring the Individual).

Primary Prevention (Organizational Redesign)

The 3 Levels of Prevention Framework

• The Goal: Altering the environment so the stressor never reaches the employee.

• Evidence-Based Policies:

  • Job Redesign: Autonomy enhancement (giving employees control over how they do their work).

  • The “Right to Disconnect”: Banning managers from sending non-emergency Viber/WhatsApp messages after 7:00 PM.

  • Anti-Bullying Protocols: Setting up anonymous, third-party whistleblowing systems.

Secondary Prevention (Evidence-Based Group Interventions)

The 3 Levels of Prevention Framework

• The Goal: Teaching coping mechanisms to groups of employees facing immovable demands (e.g. you cannot eliminate angry callers in a BPO, but you can teach agents how to process the anger).

Group Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (CBI)

Secondary Prevention (Evidence-Based Group Interventions)

• Restructuring unhelpful thought patterns at work.

• Industrial Application: Workshops targeting “Imposter Syndrome” or “Catastrophizing”. Teaching employees to challenge thoughts like, “My boss corrected my report, so I am going to be fired,” and reframe them to, “My boss corrected my report because the client has strict standards.”

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI)

Secondary Prevention (Evidence-Based Group Interventions)

• Present-moment awareness to reduce physiological arousal (amygdala hijacking).

• Industrial Application: “Micro-Mindfulness”

  • Implementing 3-minute guided breathing exercises for customer service teams before they log into their phones, or “Mindful Transition” rituals at the end of a high-stress shift to prevent carrying anger home.

Solution-Focused Brief Interventions (SFBI)

Secondary Prevention (Evidence-Based Group Interventions)

• Instead of analyzing the root cause of the problem, focus entirely on constructing solutions and recognizing existing strengths.

• Industrial Application (The “Miracle Question” for Teams)

  • Facilitation: “If you woke up tomorrow and the communication breakdown in this department was miraculously solved, what would be the first small sign you’d notice?”

Solution-Focused Brief Interventions (SFBI)

Secondary Prevention (Evidence-Based Group Interventions)

• Outcome: Teams shift from complaining (“The managers don’t listen”) to actionable behaviors (“We would have a 5-minute huddle every morning”).

• Scaling Questions: “On a scale of 1-10, how manageable is your current workload? What would it take to move it from a 4 to a 5?”

Group Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (CBI), Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI), Solution-Focused Brief Interventions (SFBI)

What are 3 examples of Secondary Prevention (Evidence-Based Group Interventions)?

Tertiary Prevention (Restorative Treatment)

The 3 Levels of Prevention Framework

• The Goal: Providing clinical treatment and rehabilitation.

• Evidence-Based Applications:

  • Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Outsourced, 24/7 confidential psychological telehealth services.

  • Return-to-Work (RTW) Phasing: If an employee takes a 2-month leave for Major Depressive Disorder, they do not return to 100% workload on day one. RTW policies dictate a staggered return (e.g. 4 hours a day for week one) to prevent relapse.

Department Survival Kit

• A curated package of tools, resources, and policies given to a specific high-stress department (e.g. ER Nurses, Sales Agents).

The Shield (Policies), The Anchor (Social), The Tools (Skills), The Flare (Tertiary)

Designing the Department Survival Kit

What goes into the prototype?

The Shield (Policies)

Designing the Department Survival Kit

A quick-reference card of their boundaries (e.g., "Script for ending an abusive client call legally").

The Anchor (Social)

Designing the Department Survival Kit

A peer-support buddy system.

The Tool (Skills)

Designing the Department Survival Kit

• A laminated card with a 5-step CBI reframe for failure, or a QR code to a company-paid meditation app.

The Flare (Tertiary)

Designing the Department Survival Kit

• The EAP hotline number stored directly into their work phones.

Kirkpatrick Model

Post-Program Analysis & Measuring Impact

To prove an intervention is evidence-based, you must measure its impact using a structured evaluation. We use the _____________.

Level 1: Reaction

Kirkpatrick Model

• Did they like it? (“Was the mindfulness training relevant?”).

• Warning: A high score here might just mean you were entertaining.

Level 2: Learning

Kirkpatrick Model

• Did they acquire the skill? (Pre/Post-Test: Ask them to demonstrate a CBI reframe before and after the program).

Level 3: Behavior

Kirkpatrick Model

• Are they using it on the job? (Observation/FGDs 3 months later: “Are teams actually doing the 5-minute morning huddles?”)

Level 4: Results (Business Impact)

Kirkpatrick Model

• Did it fix the organizational problem?

  • Has the 40% turnover rate dropped to 20%? Has unauthorized absenteeism decreased? Have customer satisfaction scores gone up because agents are less burned out?

stress

A mentally healthy workplace is not a place where _____ doesn't exist.

It is a place where _____ is manageable, demands are supported, and recovery is built into the system.

Level 1: Reaction, Level 2: Learning, Level 3: Behavior, Level 4: Results

What are the 4 levels in the Kirkpatrick Model?