TY - JOUR
T1 - Contact & connect - an intervention to reduce depression stigma and symptoms in construction workers
T2 - protocol for a randomised controlled trial Health behavior, health promotion and society
AU - Milner, Allison
AU - Witt, Katrina
AU - Burnside, Lewis
AU - Wilson, Caitlyn
AU - Lamontagne, Anthony D
PY - 2015/10/16
Y1 - 2015/10/16
N2 - Background: Males employed in the construction industry have high rates of suicide. Although reasons underpinning this risk are multifaceted, poor help-seeking and stigma are represent major contributors. Males in the construction industry are also exposed to other risk factors for mental ill health and suicide, including unemployment. Sigma-reducing interventions that are accessible and attractive to recently unemployed males in the construction industry could therefore improve help-seeking, and address depression and suicidal behaviour in this population. Methods/Design: Contact&Connect will use a parallel individual randomized design to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimedia-based intervention aimed at reducing stigma. The intervention consists of a package of 12 brief contact interventions (BCIs) delivered over a six month period. BCIs will direct participants to informational programs and microsites. Content will address three major themes: debunking depression myths and stereotypes, normalisation, and empowerment. Target enrolment is 630 (315 in each arm), each to be followed for 12 months. Eligible participants will be males, between 30 and 64 years, unemployed at the time of recruitment, registered with Incolink (a social welfare trustee company for unemployed members of the construction industry), and own a smart phone with enabled internet connectivity. Discussion: At present, there are no programs that have been shown to be effective in reducing stigma in the blue-collar male population. Contact&Connect promises to provide a tailored, efficient, and scalable approach to reducing stigma, depressive symptoms and suicidality among unemployed males. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12615000792527 (date of registration: 30 July, 2015).
AB - Background: Males employed in the construction industry have high rates of suicide. Although reasons underpinning this risk are multifaceted, poor help-seeking and stigma are represent major contributors. Males in the construction industry are also exposed to other risk factors for mental ill health and suicide, including unemployment. Sigma-reducing interventions that are accessible and attractive to recently unemployed males in the construction industry could therefore improve help-seeking, and address depression and suicidal behaviour in this population. Methods/Design: Contact&Connect will use a parallel individual randomized design to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimedia-based intervention aimed at reducing stigma. The intervention consists of a package of 12 brief contact interventions (BCIs) delivered over a six month period. BCIs will direct participants to informational programs and microsites. Content will address three major themes: debunking depression myths and stereotypes, normalisation, and empowerment. Target enrolment is 630 (315 in each arm), each to be followed for 12 months. Eligible participants will be males, between 30 and 64 years, unemployed at the time of recruitment, registered with Incolink (a social welfare trustee company for unemployed members of the construction industry), and own a smart phone with enabled internet connectivity. Discussion: At present, there are no programs that have been shown to be effective in reducing stigma in the blue-collar male population. Contact&Connect promises to provide a tailored, efficient, and scalable approach to reducing stigma, depressive symptoms and suicidality among unemployed males. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12615000792527 (date of registration: 30 July, 2015).
KW - Construction
KW - Depression stigma
KW - Mental health
KW - Randomised controlled trial
KW - Suicide
KW - Wellbeing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84944459780&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12889-015-2394-x
DO - 10.1186/s12889-015-2394-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 26475500
AN - SCOPUS:84944459780
SN - 1471-2458
VL - 15
JO - BMC Public Health
JF - BMC Public Health
IS - 1
M1 - 1062
ER -