The ACLM Lift Project—Caring for the Carers

Abstract

The mental health and wellbeing of health care workers has been uniquely challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Health care organizations may support the mental health of their members by offering tailored, evidence-based interventions and initiatives. METHODS: The American College of Lifestyle Medicine offered its members an online, 10-week, multicomponent mental health and well-being program (The Lift Project) for free, and extended the invitation to members from sister organizations associated with the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance. Individuals (n=1785) representing 39 countries registered for the program. Website meta-data was used to explore participant’ engagement with the program. One hundred forty-five participants responded to a post-program questionnaire that included Likert items and open-ended questions. RESULTS: The website hosting the program recorded 9,815 total visits over 10 weeks. Ninety-one percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the program supported their mental wellbeing, and there was a significant increase (X2=80.8, p< 0.01) in the proportion of respondents who rated their wellbeing higher after the program compared to at the start of the program. Ninety percent of respondents indicated that the program would have a long-term positive influence on their mental wellbeing, and 94% indicated they would recommend the program to a friend. Dominant themes from the open-ended questions in the post-program evaluation included: the participants liked the style of the video presentations, the structure of the program, content covered and the practical application of the content; the participants would have liked more time to engage with the program and would have enjoyed the provision of group meetings. CONCLUSION: Health care organizations may play an important role in supporting their members’ mental health and wellbeing by offering large-scale, evidence-based interventions. To optimize efficacy, the interventions should be well-designed, engaging, and potentially provide the opportunity for group connection and interaction.