Addressing the Mental Health and Productivity of Young Workers using Contextual Behavioural Science

精神健康问题每年影响六分之一的工人，是病假的主要原因（德勤，2020年）。在工作场所提供心理健康支持可能是一种有效的公共卫生干预措施，有助于纠正常见问题（例如焦虑、抑郁），并最终提高工作效率（Prudenzi等人，2021年）。已经提出了一种新的方法，以促进员工的心理和身体健康是CBS （Bond & Bunce, 2003）。这一模式和干预措施旨在通过帮助员工更加意识、开放和积极来促进员工的心理健康。这是通过“心理灵活性”的过程实现的。我的博士论文旨在测试CBS心理模型和治疗（ACT）在改善医疗保健员工心理健康和减轻工作压力方面的作用。我的博士论文填补了文献中的几个空白，并提出了四项研究。综上所述，我的论文发现，CBS模型、ACT干预和假设的弹性技能（心理灵活性和自我同情）有利于改善医疗保健员工的心理健康。自从我开始攻读博士学位以来，职场心理健康状况发生了巨大变化。技术进步、COVID-19大流行的持续、技术进步和财务压力因素导致年轻人的心理健康状况恶化，失业风险增加（Bartelink等人，2020年，审查）。高度相关的英国资助者（如惠康信托基金会）、最近的报告（如德勤Z世代和千禧一代，2021年）、政策制定者（如EUniWell）和最新的工作心理健康指南（NICE）都呼吁采取循证干预措施，改善工作中年轻人的心理健康。在多位经验丰富的学者、合作伙伴、年轻人和利益相关者的帮助下，我想进一步发展、推进和实施我帮助年轻人心理健康的工作。该奖学金有三个目标：1)进一步提高我的研究的影响和传播，并提高国际知名度；2)培养自己成为独立学者的能力；3)扩展和发展博士期间所做的工作，以帮助解决常见的青少年心理健康问题（如焦虑、抑郁），并可能提高他们的工作参与度。有了这个奖学金，我的目标是：与：a)伯明翰大学（迪拜）的学者和阿联酋FAHR利益相关者，b) MHPP项目的学者和合作伙伴，c)伯明翰IMH大学（埃德巴斯顿校区）的高级青年心理健康专家和YAB合作；传播：举办利益相关者网络研讨会，参加国际职业心理学会议和哥伦比亚广播公司会议，在公共新闻媒体上发表文章，举办培训师培训计划和学术研讨会（伯明翰大学，迪拜）；指导：指导硕士生项目和1名博士生；领导：在情绪障碍实验室小组（Marwaha教授）中组建并领导一个名为“就业与心理健康”的新的IMH研究分主题小组；调整干预措施：调整我博士期间使用的CBS干预措施，以帮助年轻人改善他们的心理健康和工作效率；制定拨款提案：提高我的写作技巧，并制定新研究者拨款申请。该奖学金旨在增强我的能力，巩固我未来作为一名科学家-实践者的职业生涯的相关技能：设计、管理和评估改善工作场所心理健康的干预措施。这个奖学金将增加我在这个领域的学术就业机会。话虽如此，我之所以参加这个奖学金项目，不仅是因为完成学业后会有机会，还因为我希望能参与到我非常关心的研究领域的研究过程中。

Mental health problems affect one in six workers each year and are the leading cause of sickness absence (Deloitte, 2020). Offering mental health support in the workplace can be an effective public health intervention to help remediate common issues (e.g. anxiety, depression) and ultimately improve productivity at work (Prudenzi et al., 2021). A novel approach that has been suggested to promote employees' mental and physical health is CBS (Bond & Bunce, 2003). This model and intervention aim to promote mental health of employees by helping them to be more aware, open and active. This is achieved through the process of 'psychological flexibility'. My PhD thesis aimed to test the CBS psychological model and therapy (ACT) to improve mental health and reduce work-related stress of healthcare employees. My doctoral thesis addressed several gaps in the literature and produced four studies. In combination, the findings from my thesis found that the CBS model, ACT intervention, and the hypothesised resilience skills (psychological flexibility and self-compassion) were beneficial to improving mental health in healthcare employees. The landscape of workplace mental health has dramatically changed since the start of my PhD. Increased technology, the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, technological advancements and financial stressors have led to poorer mental health in young people with an increased risk of unemployment (Bartelink et al., 2020, for a review). Highly relevant UK funders (e.g. Wellcome Trust), recent reports (e.g. Deloitte Generation Z and Millennials', 2021), policymakers (e.g. EUniWell) and the latest Mental Health at Work guideline (NICE) have all launched a call for evidence-based interventions that improve mental health of young people at work. With the help of multiple experienced academics, partners, young people, and stakeholders I would like to further develop, advance and implement my work for helping young people's mental health. This fellowship has three objectives: 1) to further increase the impact and dissemination of my research and reach international visibility; 2) to develop my abilities to become an independent academic, and; 3) to expand and develop the work conducted during my PhD to help remediate common youth mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, depression) and likely improve their engagement at work. With this fellowship I aim to:Collaborate with: a) academics of the University of Birmingham (Dubai) and the UAE FAHR stakeholders, b) academics and partners of the MHPP project, c) senior youth mental health experts and the YAB at the IMH University of Birmingham (Edgbaston campus); Disseminate: deliver a stakeholder webinar, attend an International Occupational Psychology Conference and a CBS Conference, publish an article in a public news outlet, deliver a Train-the-Trainer training programme and an academic seminar (University of Birmingham, Dubai);Supervise: supervising master's level student projects and a PhD student;Lead: form and lead a new IMH research sub-theme group entitled 'Employment and Mental Health' in the Mood Disorders Lab group (Prof Marwaha);Adapt the intervention: adapt the CBS intervention used in my PhD to help young people improve their mental health and productivity at work; Develop a grant proposal: improve my writing skills and develop the New Investigator Grant application.This fellowship will aim to empower me and consolidate the relevant skillset for my future career as a scientist-practitioner: designing, administering and evaluating interventions for improving mental health in the workplace. This fellowship would enhance the range of academic employment opportunities available to me in this field. That said, my drive to undertake this fellowship is not solely fuelled by the opportunities that will emerge upon completion but also by the prospect of engaging in the process of pursuing a research avenue that I care about deeply.