Evaluating Implementation and Impact of PeerOnCall, a Mobile Health Approach to Peer Support for Canadian Public Safety Personnel

A prospective cohort study design will be implemented across four sectors and multiple organizations sites to evaluate implementation and impact of the apps. Pre/post impact data will be collected over a six-month implementation period to assess whether the apps lead to increased Public Safety Personnel outreach to peer support (primary outcome), and to increased mental health literacy, and decreased mental distress (secondary outcomes). Recruitment will take place at three levels; 1) organizations (including knowledge users/organization champions), 2) peer support providers, and 3) public safety personnel employed within each participating organization. Sources of implementation and impact data for the six-month trial will include: 1) app utilization data, 2) knowledge user/organization champion interviews, 3) surveys with public safety personnel, 4) focus groups with peer support providers, and 5) implementation costs. Analysis will focus on both implementation and effectiveness to address the research questions related to the impact of the apps, as well as how the process and context of implementation shapes effectiveness.