Behavior change intervention on mental health promotion using if-then plans: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Implementation intentions (IMPs) are if-then plans that help people attain their self-regulatory goals. IMPs are effective in changing health behaviors, including physical activity, diet, and smoking cessation. Recently, specific studies have applied IMPs to reducing or preventing mental health symptoms. However, only a few applications of IMPs to mental health promotion have been demonstrated in terms of universal prevention interventions such as for asymptomatic people in worksites and schools. This study addressed whether forming IMPs for mental health promotion behaviors could improve workers’ mental health. A quasi-experimental behavior change intervention study was conducted using if-then mental health promotion plans. The intervention group (n=81) specified IMPs using if-then plan sheet immediately following the baseline questionnaire. The plan sheet required them to link critical situations in their lives with mental health promotion behaviors for changing their mood. The intervention group was instructed to follow their plans for two weeks, whereas the control group (n=47) received general information about ordinary life. Results indicated that the intervention group significantly increased their mental health promotion behaviors in the follow-up period compared to the control group, including “interest and participation in a new activity” and “belonging to a group”. A significant relationship was found between the extent of practicing mental health promotion behaviors and awareness of improvements in mental health conditions. Volunteers in the intervention group reported practices that allow them to continue their if-then plans easily. The keys to ensuring effective if-then plans were (1) forming a frequently encountered if-part; (2) forming a reasonably easy-to-accomplish then-part for the corresponding if-part; and (3) ensuring that if- and then-parts are closely related. The knowledge gained from this study is expected to contribute to more extensive and informed mental health promotion campaigns for behavior change in the future.

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