TY - JOUR

T1 - The workings of an action learning program for building mental health promotion capacity

T2 - A realist evaluation

AU - Hinrichsen, Carsten

AU - Nelausen, Malene Kubstrup

AU - Nielsen, Line

AU - Santini, Ziggi Ivan

AU - Meilstrup, Charlotte

AU - Rod, Morten Hulvej

AU - Koushede, Vibeke

AU - Lauridsen, Sigurd

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by Nordea-fonden [grant numbers 02-2018-1486 ]. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2022/6

Y1 - 2022/6

N2 - Action learning is a promising approach for building mental health promotion (MHP) capacity. The aim of this study is to explore how action learning processes can strengthen MHP capacity within and across organizations in a community setting. We applied an embedded case study design and a realist evaluation framework to explore key combinations of mechanisms and contextual factors that generated the emergent MHP capacity outcomes of an action learning program, i.e. context-mechanism-outcome-configurations (CMO-configurations). Data consisted of 18 semi-structured face-to-face interviews, 10 telephone interviews, two group interviews, observations, and documents. Interviewees (n = 21) were participants and management employees. Our analytical provision of CMO-configurations provides insights into how contextual factors, such as participant motivation, organizational support, and existing task descriptions, in combination with certain program mechanisms, such as legitimization of specific agendas, learning-by-doing, and collaborations across organizational boundaries, explain the identified outcomes. Outcomes ranged across implementation of MHP initiatives, personal development among participants, and relational and collaborative development. Taken together, our results strengthen the notion that mechanisms of action learning hold the potential to build MHP capacity on an individual, organizational, and community level. This study, also, illustrates that realist evaluation offers a relevant methodology for investigating the underlying workings of capacity building programs.

AB - Action learning is a promising approach for building mental health promotion (MHP) capacity. The aim of this study is to explore how action learning processes can strengthen MHP capacity within and across organizations in a community setting. We applied an embedded case study design and a realist evaluation framework to explore key combinations of mechanisms and contextual factors that generated the emergent MHP capacity outcomes of an action learning program, i.e. context-mechanism-outcome-configurations (CMO-configurations). Data consisted of 18 semi-structured face-to-face interviews, 10 telephone interviews, two group interviews, observations, and documents. Interviewees (n = 21) were participants and management employees. Our analytical provision of CMO-configurations provides insights into how contextual factors, such as participant motivation, organizational support, and existing task descriptions, in combination with certain program mechanisms, such as legitimization of specific agendas, learning-by-doing, and collaborations across organizational boundaries, explain the identified outcomes. Outcomes ranged across implementation of MHP initiatives, personal development among participants, and relational and collaborative development. Taken together, our results strengthen the notion that mechanisms of action learning hold the potential to build MHP capacity on an individual, organizational, and community level. This study, also, illustrates that realist evaluation offers a relevant methodology for investigating the underlying workings of capacity building programs.

KW - Action learning

KW - Capacity building

KW - Mechanisms

KW - Mental health promotion

KW - Realist evaluation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128840989&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2022.102080

DO - 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2022.102080

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35395493

AN - SCOPUS:85128840989

VL - 92

JO - Evaluation and Program Planning

JF - Evaluation and Program Planning

SN - 0149-7189

M1 - 102080

ER -