Conclusions: The results of this RCT suggest that mindfulness-based resilience training delivered in an internet format can create improvements in adaptive resilience and related resources among high-risk workers, such as first responders. Despite a number of limitations, the results of this study suggest that the RAW Mindfulness Program is an effective, scalable, and practical means of delivering online resilience training in high-risk workplace settings. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a mindfulness-based RTP delivered entirely via the internet has been tested in the workplace.
There are a number of recent studies that demonstrate dementia as being preventable in around 30% of all cases, through the control of modifiable risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, alcohol consumption, high blood pressure and smoking (e.g. Livingston et al, 2017). Frankish and Horton (2017) estimate that delaying the onset of dementia by just 1 year could reduce its prevalence by 11% by 2050. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
You can read the full NHS staff learners' mental wellbeing report and the executive summary on our dedicated web page, where we have collated our free tools and resources against some of the recommendations to help you implement the new advice in the report.
This study shows under laboratory conditions the difference that a 30-minute walk can make to someone who has been otherwise sedentary for much of the day.
It's interesting that, especially for women, there was an added effect if they also got up and walked around every half hour, avoiding the effects of lengthy periods of sitting.
It's the sort of programme people who spend a lot of time sitting down could adopt in their daily lives – for example, a half-hour walk in the morning, then getting up to make a cup of tea or just walk around every half hour.
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology Vol. 24, Iss. 1, (Feb 2019): 20-35. DOI:10.1037/ocp0000110
Addressing the stigma of mental illness and its effect in the workplace is a contemporary issue in occupational health. The role of leaders is a vital but relatively unexplored dimension of this phenomenon. This study examined the effectiveness and application of an online intervention to reduce depression-related stigma in organizational leaders.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology Vol. 24, Iss. 1, (Feb 2019): 198-212. DOI:10.1037/ocp0000097
Mental disorders contribute to high rates of sickness absence (SA) and impaired work functioning. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of 3 interventions targeting SA of workers.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology Vol. 24, Iss. 1, (Feb 2019): 163-179. DOI:10.1037/ocp0000096
The return on investment of employer wellness programs has been heavily debated in recent years, yet existing research has failed to adequately assess the psychological factors that motivate program participation and how participation relates to organizationally relevant employee attitudes and behaviors. Using data over a 3-year period, we found beliefs about the value of employee wellness programs and perceived organizational support (POS) for wellness to be linked to wellness program participation through the mediation of intention to participate in the wellness program.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology Vol. 24, Iss. 1, (Feb 2019): 108-126. DOI:10.1037/ocp0000146
This meta-analytic review responds to promises in the research literature and public domain about the benefits of workplace mindfulness training. It synthesizes randomized controlled trial evidence from workplace-delivered training for changes in mindfulness, stress, mental health, well-being, and work performance outcomes.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Shift patterns and limited food choices present barriers, but these strategies can help. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
With No Smoking Day taking place on 13 March and people increasingly wanting to manage their own health, it may be the ideal time to encourage patients in your caseload to kick the habit. Tobacco is the leading cause of chronic illness and preventable death worldwide (Ryan et al, 2019), and the risk of heart attacks is doubled in people who smoke compared to that in non-smokers (British Heart Foundation, 2019). Nurses in the community can play a central role in supporting patients to quit smoking and improve their health outcomes. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Smokers are up to four times more likely to give up smoking with stop smoking services than if they try to stop smoking unaided (West, 2013). Stop smoking services offer trained personnel such as smoking cessation advisors, or trained nurses and pharmacists to support people to stop smoking. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
People with chronic conditions are missing out on the benefits of physical activity, researchers found. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
To review both mental and physical health consequences of bullying for healthcare employees.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
This spreadsheet provides data from the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) dataset starting from 2011 to 2018. This includes inpatient care figures from National Health Service (NHS) hospitals across England.
Open access. Healthcare professionals are key informants to support individual behaviour change, and although there has been some progress in empowering clinicians to promote physical activity and health at work, an effective strategy overarching the whole medical educational journey is still lacking. This report provides an overview from the Moving Healthcare Professionals programme (MHPP) in the UK, a whole-system educational approach to embed prevention and physical activity promotion into clinical practice.
Objectives To evaluate effects of active bike commuting or leisure-time exercise of two intensities on peripheral insulin sensitivity (primary outcome), cardiorespiratory fitness and intra-abdominal adipose tissue mass (secondary outcomes). To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Today’s figures show that in 2018 life expectancy gains in England ground to a halt.
‘Life expectancy gains have been flatlining since 2011. Although a slowdown has been seen across Europe, England has been particularly badly affected.
Due to limitations the proportions of disease or deaths attributed to prolonged sitting – and associated health costs – should be considered as estimates.
Despite the limitations imposed by the underlying studies, this research supports health advice to reduce the amount of time spent sitting.
How do you use information for your work and CPD? What do you think of MPFT library services? Tell us here and you could win £25 vouchers: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/B2JVNPR
NHS England and NHS Improvement have published their Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) guidance for 2019/20 and there have been some changes to the payment framework for health and wellbeing.
The BMA has a well-established record of making the case for preventing physical and mental ill-health and investing in evidence-based population measures. We are now setting out our framework for a cross-government approach to prioritising population health.
E-learning tools are now available for cardiovascular disease prevention, adult obesity, antimicrobial resistance, physical activity, social prescribing, giving children the best start in life and supporting those at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
A new report from CIPD and Simply Health published shows a rise in stress is linked to poor management.
The research, which surveyed 1,078 organisations across the UK referencing 3.2 million employees shows that stress is a growing problem, and 37 per cent of UK businesses have seen an increase in stress-related absence.
The dramatic decline in the popularity of smoking since the turn of the millennium could largely be the result of increased education and awareness of the harms of smoking, and that it's now less socially acceptable, particularly since the smoking ban in public places.
But what will be of concern to some is that while teens may be less likely to try smoking or think it acceptable, there may have been a massive increase in the perceived acceptability of vaping and the number of teens who have tried e-cigarettes if they'd been asked about it in the surveys.
Conclusions: In total, 14 Web-based multidomain lifestyle programs aimed at optimizing brain health were found. The programs showed heterogeneity in both characteristics and effectiveness evaluation. Despite this heterogeneity, this meta-analysis suggests that Web-based lifestyle programs can positively influence brain health outcomes and have the potential to contribute to the prevention of dementia.
Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides modest evidence supporting the effectiveness of smartphone apps to increase physical activity. To date, apps have been most effective in the short term (eg, up to 3 months). Future research is needed to understand the time course of intervention effects and to investigate strategies to sustain intervention effects over time.
APA blog post. Smokers who are trying to quit may not always have to reach for a piece of nicotine gum to stave off a craving. Deliberately inhaling a pleasant aroma may be enough to reduce the urge to light up, at least temporarily, and could be used as part of an effective smoking cessation strategy, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Policy makers need disability projections for planning adequate services and measures for health promotion. The aim of this study is to provide projections on severe mobility limitations up to year 2044 and illustrate how the projected prevalence and the number of persons with severe mobility limitations are affected by potential changes in the modifiable risk factors, namely excess weight, physical inactivity and smoking. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
International Journal of Stress Management (Apr 11, 2019). DOI:10.1037/str0000129
Researchers have emphasized the role of physical activity in accelerating recovery from stress. Therefore, the primary goal of the present study was to examine whether regular physical activity moderates the relationship between occupational stress and burnout symptoms in Swiss workers.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Our study about the ‘weekend warrior’ physical activity pattern and mortality was one of the most talked about studies of 2017. Here we offer an infographic summarising the results of our study. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Health Education England (HEE) has launched a new framework Workforce Stress and the Supportive Organisation.
Developed by the National Workforce Skills Development Unit, the framework, which can be used alongside NHS England’s Health and Wellbeing framework, challenges employers to evaluate the impact of their systems, processes and cultures on staff health and wellbeing, and consider how they can better support their staff.
Report: 'Caring for the mental health of the medical workforce'
This report provides a summary of findings from a large-scale survey into doctors’ and medical students’ mental health. The survey, which was open to BMA members and non-members across the UK received over 4,300 responses.
Overall, the findings reflect employers' growing recognition of their critical role in improving the health of the workforce. But the survey highlights some cause for concern, including an increase in stress-related absence and a lack of support for managers, who are increasingly expected to take responsibility for their team's well-being. We're therefore calling on employers to invest in more training and development for managers and have published some top tips to support managers to minimise stress in their teams.
A new framework aimed at helping health and social care employers improve the mental wellbeing of their employees has been launched today by Health Education England (HEE).
There is a growing consensus that if healthcare is to be sustainable, there is a need for a fundamental shift from treatment of ill health, when it occurs, to prevention. This week we launched our report The transition to integrated care: population health management in England, with findings derived from extensive literature reviews and our experience working with health economies internationally. It highlights key challenges and potential solutions that, if adopted at scale, could deliver a more cost-effective approach to improving the health and wellbeing of a population.
To show the results of an exploratory trial based on social and emotional learning to promote healthy lifestyles in 5‐6 aged children.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
To identify and describe the various patterns of parents’ perspectives on avoiding secondhand smoke exposure.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
This bulletin presents figures for avoidable mortality in 2001 to 2017 for England and Wales using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) to measure socioeconomic inequalities.
New guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for children under 5 are “useful benchmarks” but require cautious interpretation, says RCPCH's Dr Max Davie.
According to new guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO), children under five must spend less time sitting watching screens or restrained in prams and seats if they are to grow up healthy. WHO also advise they get better quality sleep and have more time for active play.
Our new joint report with Sustain, ‘Taking down junk food ads: How local areas are taking action on outdoor advertising’, uncovers the limited powers that local authorities have to restrict advertising of products high in fat, sugar and salt.
COMMENTARY ON: Robson D, Spaducci G, McNeill A, et al. Effect of implementation of a smoke-free policy on physical violence in a psychiatric inpatient setting: an interrupted time series analysis. Lancet Psychiatry 2017;4,540–6.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
A growing body of work suggests that medical students may be particularly at risk of mental ill health, suicidal ideation and behaviour, resulting in recent calls to develop interventions to prevent these outcomes. However, few reviews have synthesised the current evidence base regarding the effectiveness of these interventions and provided guidance to improve future intervention efforts.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
This statistical report presents information on obesity, physical activity and diet, drawn together from a variety of sources.
The topics covered include: •Obesity related hospital admissions. •Prescription items for the treatment of obesity. •Adult obesity prevalence. •Childhood obesity prevalence. •Physical activity levels among adults and children. •Diet among adults and children, including trends in purchases, and consumption of food and drink and energy intake.
Psychological Services (Apr 22, 2019). DOI:10.1037/ser0000354
Given raised rates of patient suicide and violence in secure psychiatric facilities, staff in such settings are arguably at increased risk for burnout and reduced mental health. The present article responds to the recent U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) call to assess workforce well-being. This article held the following aims: (1) to quantify existing levels of mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, distress, and posttraumatic stress) and subjective well-being (i.e., job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and four domains of burnout) and (2) to evaluate Coping Self-Efficacy (CSE) and Need for Affect (NFA) as factors associated with staff mental health and subjective well-being.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
NHS managers are invited to join the Leading Healthy Workplaces train the trainer programme.
Held by NHS Improvement and Zeal Training Ltd the training programme will help managers understand, explore and develop supportive leadership and management behaviours to maximise their own potential as well as the staff they lead. Attendees will come away with practical tips, tools and techniques to deliver the training in your own organisation.
The ‘Active Ageing’ report by Anchor Hannover – England’s largest not-for-profit provider of care and homes for over 55’s – in association with Demos, highlights the costs of physical inactivity in older people to the NHS. By 2030 this could be as much as £1.3bn. The report also highlights the human cost of inactivity in later life, illustrating how inactivity not only contributes to poorer physical health, but also cognitive decline, reduced emotional wellbeing and loneliness.
Older Men at the Margins was a two-year study to understand how men aged 65 and over from different social backgrounds and circumstances experienced loneliness and social isolation. It also explored the formal and informal ways they sought to stay connected with others and feel less lonely.
Lina Gega explores a review of digital technology for health promotion, which looks at opportunities to address excess mortality in people living with SMI.
A new report from workplace experts, Acas, has revealed that two thirds of workers (66%) have felt stressed or anxious about work over the past year.Acas commissioned YouGov to ask employees in Great Britain about their experiences of stress and anxiety in the workplace. The most common reasons given for the way they felt included workloads (60%), the way that they were managed (42%) and balancing home and work lives (35%).
Understanding whether and how far smokers’ characteristics influence the effectiveness of treatment may be important for tailoring recommendations on cessation aids to those most likely to help the user achieve abstinence. This study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of commonly‐used smoking cessation aids and test whether their effectiveness differs according to cigarette addiction, socioeconomic status, age, or sex.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has proposed regulation to require cigarettes contain very low nicotine content (VLNC). In contrast, reducing the number of cigarettes per day (CPD) is the most common current method to reduce nicotine. This trial aims to explore whether gradually transitioning to VLNC cigarettes plus nicotine patch or reducing CPD plus nicotine patch is more effective at decreasing nicotine dependence.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
Age‐related decline in muscle oxidative capacity reduces muscle function and physical performance, leading to disability and frailty. Whether age‐related decline in oxidative capacity is modified by exercise and other lifestyle practices is unclear. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that physical activity is associated with better oxidative capacity, independent of age.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
A Trust campaign which encourages caring NHS staff to think about their own health and wellbeing has won a national HSJ Value Award.
The #allofus wellbeing campaign was designed to raise awareness of the range of health and wellbeing services available for staff, including counselling, physiotherapy and physical health checks.
Open access. Hypertension is an emerging disease in children and adolescents resulting in future morbidities. Cigarette smoking is one of the most studied contributing factors in this regard; however, there are contradictory results among different studies. Therefore, the present meta-analysis tends to assess the relationship between passive exposure to cigarette smoke and blood pressure in children and adolescents.
A previous study showed significantly greater reductions in number of cigarettes smoked and biomarkers of toxicant and carcinogen exposure in smokers assigned to immediate reduction of nicotine in cigarettes to very low levels versus gradually over time or continued smoking of normal nicotine content cigarettes. This study examines the effects of these approaches on selected biomarkers associated with harmful biological effects.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
Research into how to prevent heart attacks or strokes in people with severe mental illnesses (SMI) in 76 primary care practices in England found that practice nurses adhered to the intervention and behaviour change components more than healthcare assistants (HCAs). To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
This study examined the effects of three doses of behavioral weight loss treatment, compared with a nutrition education control group, on changes in glycemic control in individuals with obesity and prediabetes. Open Access Article
Electronic cigarettes have been evaluated and assessed as a smoking cessation tool; however, as Graham Cope explains, a more cautious approach may be needed and users should be made aware of the potential harm of these devices. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
There’s a lot of evidence about the relationship between alcohol consumption and harm experienced by drinkers such as ill health, disability and death. But there is less evidence to bring together what we know about the detrimental effects alcohol has on people other than drinkers, such as being a victim alcohol-related crime, family breakdown, child abuse and needing support from the police and healthcare services.
The study also shows a couple of interesting findings, including that while smoking tends to be viewed as less socially acceptable today, more rarely depicted on TV and brands never displayed, the same cannot be said for alcohol.
Drinking, often to excess, still appears to be seen as acceptable to depict as the social norm for young adults.
What this study cannot tell us is whether media exposure to smoking or alcohol increases the risk of these behaviours among young people.
To assess prevalence and predictors of e‐cigarettes/cigarettes patterns of use in adolescents in England.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
The expense associated with using non‐combustible nicotine products as an alternative to smoking may deter smoking reduction or cessation. This study aimed to estimate (i) how much adults in England spend each week on smoking and alternative nicotine products and (ii) the potential cost saving that could be achieved by switching from smoking to using an alternative nicotine delivery product.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
The United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance (NICE PH48) recommends that pharmacotherapy combined with behavioural support be provided for all smokers admitted to hospital; however, relapse to smoking after discharge remains common. This study aimed to assess the effect of adding home support for newly‐abstinent smokers to conventional NICE‐recommended support in smokers discharged from hospital.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
It has been proposed that many smokers switch to vaping because their nicotine addiction makes this their only viable route out of smoking. We compared indicators of prior and current cigarette smoking dependence and of relapse in former smokers who were daily users of nicotine vaping products (‘vapers') or who were not vaping at the time of survey (‘non‐vapers').. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
Active travel means making journeys by physically active means, like walking or cycling. Given active travel is a devolved policy area, this briefing relates primarily to active travel policies in England.
Commissioned by Health Education England, this framework has been produced by Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust's national workforce skills development unit to help organisations minimise the impact of workforce stress.
If we are to move to a preventative system in public services, communities need to take on more responsibility for their own health and well-being. That means handing power and resource over to communities that is held by public sector institutions.
The commissioning of public services is one of the most important functions of the public sector but also one that is deeply embedded within the institution. Community Commissioning makes a convincing case for why the process needs to be led by citizens and service users not public sector professionals. Importantly, it also explains in detail how this shift is happening in practice.
The report, based on 22 effective HWBs across the country, shows the boards are driving health and social care integration and making sure that prevention is at the heart of this - helping to keep people well in the first place, rather than managing ill health better.
This study found that almost half of health care workers reported experiencing a mental illness, which could have significant implications for service delivery. Some health care workers held causal explanations of mental illness that were not evidence based. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Focusing on three papers exploring the benefits of Parkrun – a free 5km running event held weekly in parks around the UK that has seen an increase in popularity. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Health promotion is now an NMC requirement, but discussing weight can be difficult for nurses
Broaching potentially difficult conversations about a patient’s lifestyle issues – such as diet – can be a daunting prospect for even the most experienced nurse. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
In recent years, the regulation of carbohydrate intake has become regarded as essential to achieve a balanced diet, with a range of health benefits attributed to low-carbohydrate diets. ...This article outlines the constituents of dietary carbohydrate, considers the health benefits of carbohydrates, and explains their importance as part of a healthy and balanced diet. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
People with a mental illness are more susceptible to physical ill health than the general population, which leads to significantly higher mortality rates among this group. Reasons for this include lifestyle factors such as smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet. Inadequate knowledge and skills about physical health among mental health nurses can lead to uncoordinated care and inadequate access to physical health services for people with mental ill health. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Mental health clinicians are expected to offer support and advice to patients to promote smoking cessation. Alongside this is the relatively new and increasingly popular phenomenon of electronic cigarette use. The absence of any long-term evidence regarding safety is recognised and clinicians' awareness of e-cigarettes may be limited to personal experience or media publications, leading to uncertainty in their confidence discussing e-cigarettes with patients, both in general and as an aid to quitting smoking. This article provides a historical and contemporary overview of e-cigarettes and vaping. The reader will gain an understanding of e-cigarette usage, risks and benefits, the current position on use of e-cigarettes in mental health settings, and tips on how to take an e-cigarette/vaping history and how to offer advice about use. This is achieved in the context of recent publications and national recommendations. Although the focus is primarily on the mental health patient, the article is of benefit to all health and social care professionals to help them develop an understanding of e-cigarettes as a tobacco-smoking cessation or harm-reduction aid.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The guidelines emphasise the importance of building strength and balance for adults, and include recommendations for pregnant women, new mothers and disabled people.
Infographics explaining the physical activity needed for general health benefits for all age groups, disabled adults, pregnant women and women after childbirth.