UMB Digital Archive
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The UMB Digital Archive is a service of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HSHSL) that collects, preserves, and distributes the academic works of the University of Maryland, Baltimore. It is a place that digitally captures the historical record of the campus.
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Item How are motivational interviewing techniques associated with US healthcare employees’ mental health help- seeking behaviours when using the interactive screening programme(BMJ, 2024-12-22)Introduction: Suicide rates for healthcare workers, coupled with mental health challenges, continue to increase in the USA. This study aimed to assess how the Interactive Screening Programme (ISP) is being used by US healthcare employees and how ISP counsellors’ use of motivational interviewing (MI) techniques was associated with employee help- seeking outcomes. Methods: We used a retrospective one- group study to analyse secondary deidentified ISP interactive counselling dialogue (written communications between the ISP counsellor and ISP user) (time frame 2009–2019) from 5922 healthcare employees at 15 US workplaces. Help-seeking outcomes included referral requests, commitment to mental health services and improved willingness to seek mental health services. Key exposures included counsellors’ use of MI techniques. Results: 45% of ISP users scored in high distress on their ISP screening. Among ISP users in high distress, over 25% engaged in ISP dialogue and 63% of those who engaged in dialogue requested a referral. Bivariate analysis showed ISP users more likely to request referrals included women, younger employees, those with higher distress levels and those not currently receiving mental health services. Counsellors’ use of the MI technique, asking questions, was associated with approximately three times the odds of requesting referral (OR=3.12, p<0.001), higher odds of service commitment (OR=2.18, p<0.001) and improved willingness towards services (OR=2.21, p<0.001), compared with no questions asked during ISP dialogue. Asking questions also demonstrated a large effect size for all three dependent variables. Conclusion: Results support the use of the MI techniques, especially asking questions, with ISP dialogue to encourage healthcare employees’ mental health help-seeking.Item Item Exploring the Impact of Digital Peer Support Services on Meeting Unmet Needs Within an Employee Assistance Program: Retrospective Cohort Study(JMIR Publications, 2025-02-25)Background: The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 4 people worldwide will experience a mental disorder in their lifetime, highlighting the need for accessible support. Objective: This study evaluates the integration of digital peer support (DPS) into an employee assistance program (EAP), testing 3 hypotheses: (1) DPS may be associated with changes in EAP counseling utilization within a 5-session model; (2) DPS users experience reduced sadness, loneliness, and stress; and (3) DPS integration generates a positive social return on investment (SROI). Methods: The study analyzed EAP utilization within a 5-session model using pre-post analysis, sentiment changes during DPS chats via natural language processing models, and SROI outcomes. Results: Among 587 DPS chats, 432 (73.6%) occurred after business hours, emphasizing the importance of 24/7 availability. A matched cohort analysis (n=72) showed that DPS reduced therapy sessions by 2.07 per participant (P<.001; Cohen d=1.77). Users’ messages were evaluated for sentiments of sadness, loneliness, and stress on a 1-10 scale. Significant reductions were observed: loneliness decreased by 55.04% (6.91 to 3.11), sadness by 57.5% (6.84 to 2.91), and stress by 56.57% (6.78 to 2.95). SROI analysis demonstrated value-to-investment ratios of US $1.66 (loneliness), US $2.50 (stress), and US $2.58 (sadness) per dollar invested. Conclusions: Integrating DPS into EAPs provides significant benefits, including increased access, improved emotional outcomes, and a high SROI, reinforcing its value within emotional health support ecosystems.