Currently submitted to: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Sep 30, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 1, 2026 - Nov 26, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
A preliminary study of the mental health program for working-age population in Satakunta: Protocol for a repeated cross-sectional study
ABSTRACT
Background:
The mental health of the working-age population is influenced by several interrelated factors, including individual factors as well as social constructions and working life. The dimensions of mental health can be measured using several different metrics, such as number of diagnoses and self-perceived mental health using questionnaires.
Objective:
We present a study protocol to form an understanding of the current mental health status of the working-age population in Satakunta, Finland, where the number of people receiving disability pensions for mental health reasons is higher compared to the national average, and the overall number of working-age adults is decreasing. The results will provide an evidence-based foundation for the development of a regional mental health program, enabling the identification of mental health problems that can be addressed through concrete actions and policy decisions on a regional level.
Methods:
This is an observational, repeated cross-sectional study using quantitative Finnish register data and survey data. There are three data sources: 1) register data regarding mental health diagnoses and use of health services, 2) population survey data, and 3) openly available survey data. To study the psychiatric diagnosis prevalence, we will calculate service utilization as the percentage of individuals who had a healthcare visit with a mental disorder diagnosis, using healthcare visits from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care. The primary responses to study self-perceived mental health are the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) and the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS). Mixed-effect regression models will be used to analyze the associations between main responses and sociodemographic background variables.
Results:
Applying for research permits and data acquisition will be carried out during 2026. Data analysis and publications will be conducted in 2027 and are expected to be completed in January 2028.
Conclusions:
Population mental health is a complex construct, and its assessment requires data from multiple sources. In Finland, self-perceived mental well-being has primarily been examined through national population surveys. This study addresses the lack of regional-level evidence by providing a comprehensive assessment of the mental health status of the working-age population in Satakunta.
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