Sommaires de recherche
Why was the study done?
Canadian public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., border services officers, correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police, public safety communicators) experience higher rates of mental health challenges than the general population. To increase access to mental health support, PSPNET offers accessible, affordable, and evidence-based internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) developed with and for PSP. Included in these online therapy courses are case stories that provide examples to enhance the client experience. The current study explored ways to further improve engagement and benefits of case stories in ICBT among PSP.
What was done in the study?
This study included PSP who completed the English version of the therapist-guided PSP Wellbeing Course. At 8-weeks post-enrollment, participants completed a questionnaire designed to assess their perception of and feedback on the case stories. Ten participants also completed a semi-structured interview.
What did we find out?
Most, but not all, PSP engaged with the case stories. Clients who read at least one case story largely reported positive perceptions citing them as authentic and relatable while providing understanding and comfort. Most clients also indicated that the case stories modeled and persuaded their use of targeted behaviours while encouraging engagement in the course. Nevertheless, clients identified three tangible areas for improvement: characters (e.g., increasing diversity), content (e.g., improving vocabulary), and delivery (e.g., improving formatting).
Where do we go from here?
This study supports the use of case stories in internet-delivered interventions among PSP. Future research is encouraged to investigate potential benefits of the identified improvements on case stories in PSPNET courses. Future research could also explore the use of artificial intelligence in personalizing case stories.
The original wording of the study was changed and condensed for the current research summary.
Original study
Price, J.A.B., Gregory, J., McCall, H.C., Landry C.A., Beahm, J.D., & Hadjistavropoulos H.D. (2024) doi:https://formative.jmir.org/2024/1/e64454
Prepared by K. Harris