None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
A pilot randomised trial that will test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the podcast-based intervention in a group of Australian men (aged 18-70 years) that are experiencing at least mild psychological distress (e.g., depression, anxiety and stress). Online assessments will collect data for primary outcomes (e.g., feasibility such as, podcast listenership & satisfaction) and secondary outcomes (e.g., psychological distress, attitudes towards help-seeking) at baseline, and 10-weeks (post-intervention, primary endpoint).
Interventions
Arm 1: Podcast condition
- Intervention description and dose:
Participants in the 'podcast' condition will receive 12-episodes of a researcher developed podcast that has been specifically gender-tailored for men. Based on formative research, it will include episodes relating to mental health literacy (e.g., masculinity and mental health, recognising signs and symptoms), coping skills (e.g., evidence based advice for increasing physical activity), substance use and addiction (e.g., stories of r
Arm 1: Podcast condition - Intervention description and dose: Participants in the 'podcast' condition will receive 12-episodes of a researcher developed podcast that has been specifically gender-tailored for men. Based on formative research, it will include episodes relating to mental health literacy (e.g., masculinity and mental health, recognising signs and symptoms), coping skills (e.g., evidence based advice for increasing physical activity), substance use and addiction (e.g., stories of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction), psychological skills (e.g., cognitive flexibility, acceptance), connection and relationships (e.g., fathering, loneliness), and environmental factors (e.g., work pressure and burnout). a) duration of each episode of the podcast: 45-60 minutes. b) total duration of the intervention: 10 weeks. c) episode frequency: participants will receive episodes 1-3 in week 1, then one episode per week from weeks 2 to 10. Mode: Online. Procedures: - Baseline: After completing the pre-test questionnaire at baseline, participants will receive instructions on how to access their individual RSS feed to access the private podcast. In addition, a text message reminder will be sent the day each new episode is released. Materials: Participants will need to own a smart phone, computer or tablet with internet access to access the podcast episodes. Location: Online. Treatment adherence: Participant compliance (listenership) will be collected via podcast analytics data.
Sponsors
University of Newcastle
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Male
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
- Identify as men. - Aged 18-70 years. - Reports at least mild depression, anxiety or stress in past week based on Depression, Anxiety Stress Scale [DASS-21], cut-points: mild depression =5, mild anxiety =4, mild stress =8). - Own a computer or smart device with internet access. - Have a current email address and mobile phone number. - Able to understand, speak, read and write in English. - Willing to participate in their assigned treatment group for the duration of the study period.
Exclusion criteria
- Person required immediate intensive treatment or hospitalisation, as determined by the study psychologist (e.g., acute suicide risk). - Have started receiving psychological therapy or counselling in the past 4-weeks. - Have started a new medication or changed medication dose in the last 4-weeks. - Unable to speak, read or understand English. - No access to an internet connected smart-phone, tablet or computer to listen to podcasts and complete surveys. - Not willing to be randomly allocated into either study group.
Outcome results
None listed