Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course

This course was designed to be helpful for PSP who have mental health concerns who are looking for a new way to access services or are faced with barriers for accessing care such as:

• geographical barriers (e.g., difficulty accessing care while posted to remote locations);
• logistical barriers (e.g., shift work limits access to standard service hours, busy work and family life);
• stigma barriers (e.g., perceptions of being evaluated negatively for having mental health concerns); or
• limited resources (e.g., insufficient access).

An ICBT course called the Wellbeing Course was originally developed at Macquarie University in Australia and was then adapted and researched by the Online Therapy Unit at the University of Regina. The Wellbeing Course has shown success as a treatment for anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. PSPNET has recently adapted the Wellbeing Course for PSP, including First Responders. The Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course is a version of the PSP Wellbeing Course that does not involve therapist support. We are now evaluating the Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course for the first time.

The Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course is an internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) program. ICBT involves using the internet to deliver the same treatment content that is normally covered in face-to-face cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic injuries.

Lesson materials are presented online on a weekly basis over the course of 8 weeks, although PSP will have access to the lesson materials for up to 26 weeks after enrolling in the Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course.

There are 5 main lessons but extra materials are available as needed (e.g., to address sleep concerns, social relationships, problem solving).

Lessons are presented in an engaging manner, and assignments are given at the end of each lesson to help with learning strategies. Clients are typically sent automated emails that encourage them to complete the lessons.

The Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course is NOT therapist-assisted. Currently, we are only able to offer therapist-assisted ICBT to PSP in certain provinces, but we hope to extend our therapist-supported ICBT programs to additional provinces and territories soon.

Your participation is confidential. There are, however, some rare circumstances under which we may need to break confidentiality:

1. If there is reason for us to suspect there is a risk of potential, imminent harm to you or others (e.g., if you emailed the PSPNET team and described plans to harm yourself or someone else).
2. If there is reason for us to suspect neglect or harm to a child, including the witnessing of violence (e.g., if you emailed the PSPNET team and described neglecting or harming a child).
3. If a court order requires us to release information.
4. If we are required to release information by legislation.

PSPNET is a research facility. As such, when your information is used for research and scholarly purposes, we de-identify the information used for these purposes. This means that your information will only ever be analyzed and presented in a way such that you are not identifiable.

Before enrolling in the course and again at 8 weeks and 20 weeks after enrolling in the course, we ask participants to complete questionnaires to help us evaluate the Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course. We also ask clients to complete extremely brief questionnaires every two weeks while using the course. This feedback is reviewed by the research team to help us understand the strengths and challenges of the Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course and how to improve the course. We want to understand the extent to which PSP will engage with the course and also how the course will impact symptoms. These questionnaires do not take very long, but they provide us with important information on your progress and the outcomes of ICBT.

Yes, the Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course is currently being offered in both English and will be offered in French in the fall.

By the end of the project, we intend to determine the effectiveness of the PSP Wellbeing Course when it is offered in a self-guided format.

The Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course is currently available. However, our ability to continue offering the Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course in the future will depend on several factors, including the availability of funding, the initial results of our research on the course, and the extent to which we are able to provide therapist-assisted ICBT to PSP in your area.

For information about the Self-Guided PSP Wellbeing Course contact 306-337-7233 (SAFE) or email pspnet@uregina.ca.