Assessing Online Interventions for Men's' Mental Health and Wellbeing

University of Maryland, Baltimore554 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to test a comprehensive, male-oriented, online screening and referral (Screening for Mental Health; SMH) and male-oriented online information and referral intervention program (Man Therapy; MT) to improve mental health and wellbeing with a focus on prevention of suicide and help-seeking behaviors among middle-aged men. The online programs will be offered together to maximize the effect on reducing suicide behavior and increasing mental health help-seeking behaviors for men. If successful in decreasing suicide behavior and ideation and increasing suicide help-seeking behavior, this intervention could be scaled up to contribute to a reduction in suicide behaviors and deaths across the country.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

554

Conditions

Mental Health Wellness 1

Interventions

Screening for Mental Health & Man TherapyBEHAVIORAL

Participants assigned to Screening for Mental Health, plus Man Therapy (SMH+MT) group will be offered the Man Therapy program in conjunction with Screening for Mental Health. MT provides online early intervention services designed specifically for men who are at risk for suicide and are less likely to engage in help-seeking behavior. MT takes an innovative and humorous approach to mental health education and help seeking through a fictional "therapist" named Dr. Rich Mahogany, who is a no-nonsense "man's man" who informs men about the importance of honest talk about life's challenges in addressing their problems. The web portal allows review "manly mental health information, facts and tips," explore "man therapies," and view videos of men with lived experience.

Eligibility

Sex: MALEMin age: 25 YearsMax age: 64 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. men living in Michigan; 2. 25-64 years of age at time of enrollment; 3. scoring in the moderate- to high-risk range (or answering positively on Question 9) on the Harvard Department of Psychiatry/NDSD Scale (HANDS), scoring in the moderate- to high-risk range for anger on the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure, or identifying any risk for suicide ideation or behavior on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Sale (C-SSRS); and 4. fluent in reading English Exclusion Criteria: 1. females 2. scoring in the low risk range on the Harvard Department of Psychiatry/NDSD Scale (HANDS), scoring in the low risk range for anger on the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure, or not identifying any risk for suicide ideation or behavior on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Sale (C-SSRS); and 3. not fluent in reading English

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in depression symptoms as measured by The HANDS: Harvard Department of Psychiatry National Depression Screening Day Scale

Time frame: Baseline; 2 weeks post randomization; 12 weeks post randomization

Change in suicide risk as measured by the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale-Screen Version

Time frame: Baseline; 2 weeks post randomization; 12 weeks post randomization

Secondary Outcomes

change in attitudes toward help-seeking behavior as measured by the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help short-form