Grant: Catalyst Grant: Work Stress and Wellbeing Hackathon

Addictions impact the workforce's psychological health and wellbeing (From, 2013), and yet they are often over-looked. In this project, we argue that in addition to impacting psychological health, additions are costly to the workforce and workplace. We review research further outlining this problem, noting workplace risk factors for addictions and differential rates of addictions across workforces. We outline the significant gaps in addictions treatment from a workplace perspective and present research supporting the suitability of e-tools to address the problem. We are guided by the question: How might we address the burden of addictions on the workforce using evidence-based e-tools? A hackathon offers a number of necessary circumstances, support and resources to directly and in a dedicate manner find a solution to the problem. Using a four-phase process, Dr. Kelly McShane (NPA) and Ms. Tania Archer (KU) will build on a long-standing relationship and work with Pivot, a design firm specializing in e-tools. Together they will develop, test, and refine an e-tool identified from the hackathon. Development of an e-tool for addictions treatment that is both evidence-based and user-centred, will have an immediate positive impact on health and wellbeing of Canadian workforce. Inclusion of a gender-based approach to tool development, as well as a culturally-appropriate approach, will increase the acceptance of tool and thereby increase the likelihood that the workforce engages with the tool and achieves improvements with their addictions.