Longer-term effectiveness of eLearning and blended delivery of Mental Health First Aid training in the workplace: 2-Year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial

Introduction: Evidence relating to long-term outcomes of online education programs is largely lacking and head-to-head comparisons of different delivery formats are very rare. The aims of the study were to test whether eLearning Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) or blended training (eLearning plus face-to-face course delivery), implemented in an Australian public sector workplace, were more effective than a control intervention at 1-year and 2-year follow-up, and whether blended MHFA training was more effective than eLearning alone. Material and methods: Australian public servants (n = 608 at baseline) were randomly assigned to complete an eLearning MHFA course, a blended MHFA course or Red Cross eLearning Provide First Aid (PFA) (the control) and completed online questionnaires pre- and post-training and one and two years later (n = 289, n = 272, n = 243 at post, 1- and 2-year follow-up respectively). The questionnaires were based on vignettes describing a person with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Primary outcomes were mental health first aid knowledge, desire for social distance and quality of support provided to a person in the workplace. Secondary outcomes were recognition of mental health problems, beliefs about treatment, helping intentions and confidence, personal stigma, quality of support provided to a person outside the workplace, self-reported professional help seeking and psychological distress. Results: At 1-year follow-up, both eLearning and blended courses produced greater improvements than PFA training in knowledge, confidence and intentions to help a person with depression or PTSD, beliefs about dangerousness and desire for social distance. At 2-year follow-up, some of these improvements were maintained, particularly those relating to knowledge and intentions to help someone with PTSD. When eLearning and blended courses were compared at 1-year follow-up, the blended course led to greater improvements in knowledge and in confidence and intentions to help a person with depression. At 2-year follow-up, improvements in the quality of help provided to a person with a mental health problem outside the workplace were greater in participants in the blended course. Conclusions: Both blended and eLearning MHFA courses led to significant longer-term improvements in knowledge, attitudes and intentions to help a person with a mental health problem. Blended MHFA training led to an improvement in the quality of helping behaviours and appears to be more effective than online training alone.Trial registrationACTRN12614000623695 registered on 13/06/2014 (prospectively registered).Trial registry record url: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=366410&isReview=true