Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Service user experiences of a nationally implemented diabetes prevention programme in England: a qualitative interview study.","authors":"Pippa Higgs, Rhiannon E Hawkes, Lisa M Miles, Charlotte Dack, David P French","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2645889","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2645889","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic condition linked to obesity that affects millions of people within England. Behaviour change interventions implemented worldwide targeting weight loss have been effective in preventing T2D. In response to this, the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS-DPP) was introduced in 2016, and was the first initiative in England to implement a diabetes prevention programme at scale. The current study investigates service users' experiences of attending in-person sessions of the NHS-DPP when the programme was first rolled out.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with service users (<i>n</i> = 20) after they completed the programme. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a framework approach to thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three themes were produced. Mindset Shift: whilst the participants did not always maintain their behaviour changes, they experienced a change in mindset towards T2D and their current behaviours. Content tailoring: the participants described how the lack of content tailoring towards culture and the starting weight of participants within the programme negatively impacted their experiences. Social experiences: participants reported that the programme's group format and wider social support from their friends and family were important for engaging with and maintaining behaviour change.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The current study identifies how diabetes prevention programmes can promote behaviour changes and mindset shifts to support diabetes prevention. However, greater content tailoring, particularly concerning culturally informed food preferences and encouraging social support for participants, may improve the long-term effectiveness and engagement of diabetes prevention programmes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2645889"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13003863/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147498745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unpacking willpower in unassisted smoking cessation: a qualitative analysis reveals a systematic profile of situational and cognitive strategies.","authors":"Effie Marathia, Sheila Duffy, Abigail Stephen, Kimberly R More, Blair Saunders","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2644658","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2644658","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Over half of those who quit smoking do so without formal assistance, yet the psychological processes supporting unassisted cessation remain little understood. Success is often attributed to willpower, an umbrella term that lacks explanatory precision and obscures the underlying tractable processes. Drawing on the Process Model of Self-Regulation and the Behavior Change Technique (BCT) Taxonomy, this study aimed to identify the concrete strategies that enable individuals to quit smoking unassisted, thereby clarifying what willpower might look like in practice.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Thirty-two participants who had successfully quit smoking without formal support participated in semi-structured interviews. Inductive content analysis identified key challenges, while deductive coding mapped strategies addressing these challenges to the Process Model of Self-Regulation and the BCT Taxonomy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants' accounts reflected a diverse range of strategies, averaging seven distinct BCTs, spanning the Situation Selection and Modification, Attention Redeployment, and Cognitive Change stages from the Process Model. Common BCTs included avoiding environmental triggers, substituting smoking with alternative behaviors, and seeking social support. In contrast, Response Modulation (e.g. 'just say no') accounted for only 1% of the data.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Unassisted quitters drew from a sophisticated repertoire of strategies that are actionable, teachable, and embedded within the individual's physical and social environment. The qualitative methodology used in this study offers an understanding of the lived experiences of self-quitters, potentially informing public health interventions that integrate individual and system-level approaches to behavior change that extend beyond brute-force willpower.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2644658"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12990265/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147473379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>'</i> <i>'That's just part of having a transplant, that's the price you pay</i> <i>\"</i> Patient-reported facilitators and barriers to immunosuppressant medication adherence among transplant recipients: a qualitative study.","authors":"Cheyenne Downey, Aisling Walsh, Frank Doyle, Peter Conlon, Conall O'Seaghdha, P Aiden McCormick, Audrey Dillon, Peter Riddell, Lisa Mellon","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2641868","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2641868","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>It is estimated that 1 in 5 organ transplant patients fail to properly adhere to their immunosuppressant medication. Interventions for good adherence lack efficacy, and challenges to developing interventions tailored to individual patient needs remain. This study explored patient-reported facilitators and barriers to immunosuppressant medication adherence, and patient-recommended strategies to support good adherence. The findings were mapped to the ABC Taxonomy for medication adherence to provide a framework to guide future intervention development.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Semi-structured interviews were held with heart, lung, liver and kidney transplant recipients (<i>n </i>= 16) who were taking prescribed immunosuppressant medication for a minimum of 6 months post-transplant. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Themes identified were: (1) the psychological processes impacting medication adherence, including lack of post-transplant psychological support, peer support from fellow transplant recipients and reflecting on health improvements following transplantation; (2) the practicalities of adhering to medication, including in-hospital medication training, routine implementation, managing domestic and social responsibilities and side effect experiences; and (3) patient-recommended strategies to facilitate medication adherence among newly transplanted patients, including mobile apps and alarms, visual reminders and pillboxes. The Persistence phase of the ABC Taxonomy represented intentional non-adherence related barriers to longer-term medication adherence, with emphasis on the importance of accessing psychological support to promote lifelong adherence.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Themes mapped to the ABC Taxonomy for medication adherence highlighted that future interventions should focus on intentionally non-adherent patients and address the complex physical, cognitive and emotional themes influencing longer-term persistence to the immunosuppressant medication regimen.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2641868"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12983805/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147467848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nudging to increase the uptake of cancer screening: scoping review of empirical studies.","authors":"Līga Pūce, Vineta Silkāne","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2639784","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2639784","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cancer screening is critical for early detection of cancer, yet achieving high participation rates remains a substantial challenge. This study aims to examine empirically tested nudging interventions and their effects on increasing cancer screening uptake.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Empirical studies on nudging to enhance cancer screening uptake, published from January 2008 to August 2025, were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, and EBSCO (including Academic Search Complete, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and MEDLINE) databases/search platforms. A complementary risk of bias analysis was performed for the selected studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifteen articles were included in this review. Most studies were carried out in real-life settings, with health system providers or professionals delivering nudges. The most common nudging techniques involved reminders combined with information provision. Results varied widely, ranging from no statistically significant effect to increases of several tens of percentage points, with a maximum increase of 65.1 percentage points. Randomised controlled trials with acceptable risk of bias demonstrated diverse outcomes, while other studies lacking a controlled approach reported positive results. Interventions that modified decision structures-such as altering options, adjusting consequences, or reducing effort-were the most effective and produced the largest increases. Intervention effects tended to be higher when resource-demanding components were included and/or healthcare professionals were involved.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The review indicates that nudge interventions can positively influence cancer screening uptake. Further research is needed to explore various nudging strategies across diverse settings, particularly through rigorous randomised controlled trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2639784"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12958388/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147364921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the relationships among weight stigma, weight bias internalisation, feeling fat, and self-esteem across preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum.","authors":"Michelle Dever, Angela C Incollingo Rodriguez, Helen Skouteris, Briony Hill","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2635237","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2635237","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Weight stigma permeates women's reproductive experiences with significant psychological consequences, yet remains understudied across different reproductive stages and country contexts. This study addresses this gap by investigating weight stigma experiences and their associations with weight bias internalisation (WBI), feeling fat, and self-esteem across preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum (PPP) stages in Western and non-Western contexts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of women aged 18-45 years from five countries completed an anonymous online survey assessing weight stigma experiences, WBI, feeling fat, and self-esteem. For exploratory comparison, countries were grouped into Western (Australia, United Kingdom, United States) and non-Western (Singapore, Philippines) contexts. Hierarchical regressions and mediation analyses examined relationships between variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 511 women completed the survey (preconception <i>n</i> = 216, pregnant <i>n</i> = 125, postpartum <i>n</i> = 170). Overall, 62.6% of women reported experiencing weight stigma, with sources varying by PPP stage. Weight stigma from the media was most prevalent during preconception, workplace during pregnancy, and family in postpartum. Women residing in Western countries reported more healthcare-related stigma (<i>p</i> = .01), while non-Western women reported more stigma from friends (<i>p</i> < .001) and workplace (<i>p</i> = .001). Weight bias internalisation, feeling fat, and self-esteem levels were similar across countries. Weight bias internalisation consistently mediated the relationship between weight stigma experiences and both feeling fat and self-esteem across all PPP stages; weight stigma promoted greater WBI, which in turn promoted higher scores on feeling fat and lower scores on self-esteem.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While sources of weight stigma differed by reproductive stage and between Western and non-Western contexts, WBI consistently mediated how these experiences related to both feeling fat and self-esteem. Interventions should target stage-specific stigma sources while addressing WBI as a key mediating mechanism to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for PPP women.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2635237"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12931358/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147289790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychosocial correlates of well-being among retired academics at Ghanaian Universities.","authors":"Frances Emily Owusu-Ansah, Daniel Opoku, Raymond Chegedua Tangonyire, Rita Holm Adzovie, Anthony Afriyie Amponsah, Akua Afriyie Addae","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2633819","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2633819","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Retirement is an important phase of life with varied experiences and potential challenges to well-being, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Academic environments can be particularly taxing, with deleterious impacts on well-being. However, there is inadequate research in Ghana on academic retirees' well-being.</p><p><strong>Objective and methods: </strong>The purpose of this study was to investigate the postretirement experiences and well-being status of academic retirees at some Ghanaian Universities by examining the psychosocial correlates and predictors of well-being. Using a quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational design, the study examined relationships among variables of interest by means of retrospective approach. A sample of two hundred and eighty academic retirees completed self-rated questionnaire on their general well-being, perceptions of control, quality of life and retirement satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Findings showed that well-being and retirement satisfaction among retired academics were associated with better quality of life in the areas of physical and mental health, social support, and perceived control. Psychological or mental health, perceived control, and financial satisfaction were significant predictors of retirees' well-being.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Insights from this study may inform further research on evidence-based efforts in Ghana for clinical practice and institutional responses that promote academic retirees' well-being, particularly in the areas of perceived control, mental health, and financial security.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2633819"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12927398/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147283508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploration of suicidal thinking in people with multiple sclerosis: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.","authors":"Ashleigh Roe, Alison Livingstone, Fhionna Moore, Sue Turnbull","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2632444","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2632444","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Suicidal ideation and rates of suicide are higher within individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite suicidal ideation often being a precursor to suicide attempts, insufficient research has focused on people living with suicidal thoughts, especially so within MS. The current study aimed to explore the experience of suicidal ideation in individuals with MS.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Interpretative phenomenological analysis using individual semi-structured interviews was employed to explore the experiences of 8 participants who had reported having experienced suicidal ideation following their MS diagnoses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three overarching group experiential themes were identified, with inter-related subthemes. 'When the strain of living feels impossible' explored factors including feelings of fading identity, burdensomeness, fear and various losses. 'Living with mental conflict' reflected the internal conflict individuals faced in relation to suicidal thinking, both during and in the aftermath. 'Finding ways to get through' explored individuals' internal and external ways of coping with MS and suicidal thinking.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The findings reflect emotional distress; ongoing adjustment; and the mechanisms by which suicidal thinking can emerge, particularly at times of diagnosis, relapse and stress. The value of both peer and professional support is highlighted, indicating the importance of addressing mental health in people with MS.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2632444"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12918377/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147270291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining the impact of combining yoga-based breathing techniques with short-bouts of walking on state anxiety: findings from two pilot randomised trials.","authors":"Kostyantyn Yaremenko, Kathryn Greenslade, Ailsa Niven, Graham Baker","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2629646","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2629646","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Single bouts of exercise can reduce state anxiety, but little is known about the benefits of short-duration walking and the potential additional benefits of integrating yoga-based breathing techniques. This study aimed to investigate whether performing a yoga-based breathing pattern, breathwalk (BW), offers additional acute benefits compared to normal breathing, on state anxiety during a single bout of walking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two pilot randomised trials (parallel groups) were conducted in healthy adults (<i>n</i> = 37 and <i>n</i> = 47) in different naturalistic settings. In both trials, participants (students/staff in one University) were randomly assigned to the breathwalk (BW) or normal walking (NW) group. All the participants performed one short bout of walking at a self-selected moderate pace. The BW group also followed a breathwalk protocol of step-based inhalation and exhalation during the walking bout. The outcome measure in both trials was state anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults™) assessed pre- and post-walking bout. Participants and outcome assessors were not blinded. Analyses were performed using two-way mixed factorial analysis of variance with follow-up paired sample t tests. Cohen's <i>d</i> effect sizes provided an indication of the magnitude of change within each group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In trial 1, there was no significant (group × time) interaction, but a significant main effect represented a reduction in state anxiety in both groups. In Trial 2, a significant interaction effect was found; only the BW group showed a significant reduction in anxiety over time. In both trials, effect sizes (reduction in state anxiety) were greater in the BW compared with the NW group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These trials provide further evidence of the beneficial effects of short, single bouts of walking on the mental well-being of young adults. There was preliminary evidence that the incorporation of a simple, breathing technique (breathwalk) provided greater anxiolytic effects than walking alone which warrants further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2629646"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12912209/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146219404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Outpatient interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain: examining patient-reported and performance-based correlates of treatment outcomes.","authors":"Jana Maas, Stephan Vinzelberg, Karolina Kolodziejczak-Krupp, Lea O Wilhelm, Lena Fleig","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2627698","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2627698","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This retrospective analysis of real-world clinical data aimed to evaluate interdisciplinary, multimodal pain therapy (IMPT) delivered in an outpatient clinic for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The primary objectives were to assess improvements in pain intensity and pain-related disability, and to examine theory- and evidence-based correlates of these outcomes, including mental and physical health parameters.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cohort of 308 patients underwent a four-week IMPT, which included exercise, manual therapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy. Pain intensity and disability (Chronic Pain Grade), habitual well-being (Marburg Questionnaire on Habitual Well-being), mental and physical health (Veterans RAND 12), depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) were assessed with self-report questionnaires approximately two months before and six months after IMPT. Physical function was assessed with performance-based measures including the stair climb test, a stability, sensorimotor regulation and symmetry test and the prone bridge test at the beginning and end of the treatment. Data were analysed by dependent samples <i>t</i>-tests and multiple linear regressions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Six months post-treatment, patients showed reductions in pain intensity (<i>d</i> = .95) and disability (<i>d</i> = .75). Improvements in depression, anxiety, stress, habitual well-being, physical health, and physical function were observed, with effect sizes ranging from small to large. Regression analysis showed that improvements in self-reported habitual well-being and physical health were associated with changes in pain intensity and disability. However, this was not the case for changes in performance-based physical function or changes in psychological risk factors (i.e. depressive symptoms, stress).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The results demonstrate that pain reductions after IMPT are more strongly associated with changes in subjective perceptions of health and habitual well-being than with performance-based indicators. However, further research is needed to draw conclusions about causality and to account for other potential contributing factors, such as treatment adherence, pain catastrophising, and self-efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2627698"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12888360/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146165040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Theoretical evaluation of mental health first aid using the behavioural change wheel (BCW).","authors":"Opeyemi Atanda, Kerry Wood, Patrick Callaghan, Paula Reavey, Eleni Vangeli","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2623324","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2026.2623324","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mental health first aid (MHFA) has gained popularity over the years. This study retrospectively maps the MHFA intervention to characterise its content using the Behavioural Change Wheel to identify the active ingredients and mechanisms of action.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Three data sources formed the data for the current study. Namely, the MHFA training manual, a roleplay video demonstrating how to implement the intervention, and interviews with six participants of whom five were MHFAers and five were MHFA recipients, on their experiences of the MHFA intervention. The interview data source formed part of the EMPOWER trial. The study presented here utilised a two-step approach: a) The MHFA intervention was described using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) framework, and b) the content was analysed to identify the behavioural change techniques (BCTs) using the behavioural change techniques taxonomy version 1 and intervention functions using the behavioural change wheel. The mechanisms of action were specified using the capability, opportunity, motivation model of behaviour and theoretical domains framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twelve BCTs and four intervention functions were identified across the three data sources. Only social support BCTs and the intervention functions of enablement and persuasion were consistently identified across the three data sources in the MHFA. The most frequent mechanisms of action were reflective motivation (particularly 'beliefs about capabilities' and 'goals') and social opportunity (particularly 'social influences').</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The MHFA intervention incorporates BCTs to increase reflective motivation and social opportunity to seek help for mental health concerns. However, psychological capability and physical opportunity need to be addressed to enhance help-seeking behaviours in those experiencing mental health difficulties. Future research should evaluate the impact of integrating additional BCTs and intervention functions into the MHFA programme to determine the most effective combination for promoting help-seeking behaviour and improving mental health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"14 1","pages":"2623324"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12862838/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146113107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}