TY - JOUR
T1 - Online positive psychology intervention for nursing home staff
T2 - A cluster-randomized controlled feasibility trial of effectiveness and acceptability
AU - Kloos, Noortje
AU - Drossaert, Constance H.C.
AU - Bohlmeijer, Ernst T.
AU - Westerhof, Gerben J.
PY - 2019/10/1
Y1 - 2019/10/1
N2 - Background: Nursing staff in nursing homes is at risk for stress-related problems. Positive psychology interventions have been shown to effectively improve well-being and decrease depressive symptoms, and may be beneficial for nursing staff. However, controlled studies with nursing staff are missing. Objectives and design: This is the first study to test the effectiveness and acceptability of an online multi-component positive psychology intervention in nursing home staff. This study used a cluster-randomized controlled design, with an intervention group and a control group, and measurements at baseline (T0) and following the training period (T1). We hypothesized that the intervention would improve general well-being, job satisfaction and work engagement, especially for people with low initial well-being, satisfaction or engagement. Furthermore, we explored the acceptability of such an intervention for nursing home staff. Settings and Participants: All nursing staff of the units for physically frail older adults of four Dutch nursing homes belonging to one care organization were invited to participate in this study. A sample of 128 nursing staff completed T0, and 107 nursing staff completed T1, mostly licensed practical nurses with a mean age of 42 years. Methods: The 8-week online intervention concerned information and evidence-based exercises of six topics of Positive Psychology, which were completed individually at home. General well-being, job satisfaction and work engagement were measured, and participants evaluated the intervention. Results: No time by group interaction effect was found on general well-being nor on work engagement, but there was a small effect on job satisfaction. No moderation effects of baseline outcome measures were found. The evaluation of the intervention varied: a majority positively valued the intervention, in particular the topics “positive emotions” and “strengths”, but most agreed that there was too much text and too many exercises. Conclusions: The online multi-component positive psychology intervention had only very limited effectiveness, as the decrease in job satisfaction in the control group may reflect a regression to the mean. The high baseline levels of well-being and engagement, intervention content, obligatory character of the intervention, and individuality are discussed as possible reasons for these results. Opportunities lie in creating a concise, work focused positive psychology intervention for nursing staff, including some form of autonomy support.
AB - Background: Nursing staff in nursing homes is at risk for stress-related problems. Positive psychology interventions have been shown to effectively improve well-being and decrease depressive symptoms, and may be beneficial for nursing staff. However, controlled studies with nursing staff are missing. Objectives and design: This is the first study to test the effectiveness and acceptability of an online multi-component positive psychology intervention in nursing home staff. This study used a cluster-randomized controlled design, with an intervention group and a control group, and measurements at baseline (T0) and following the training period (T1). We hypothesized that the intervention would improve general well-being, job satisfaction and work engagement, especially for people with low initial well-being, satisfaction or engagement. Furthermore, we explored the acceptability of such an intervention for nursing home staff. Settings and Participants: All nursing staff of the units for physically frail older adults of four Dutch nursing homes belonging to one care organization were invited to participate in this study. A sample of 128 nursing staff completed T0, and 107 nursing staff completed T1, mostly licensed practical nurses with a mean age of 42 years. Methods: The 8-week online intervention concerned information and evidence-based exercises of six topics of Positive Psychology, which were completed individually at home. General well-being, job satisfaction and work engagement were measured, and participants evaluated the intervention. Results: No time by group interaction effect was found on general well-being nor on work engagement, but there was a small effect on job satisfaction. No moderation effects of baseline outcome measures were found. The evaluation of the intervention varied: a majority positively valued the intervention, in particular the topics “positive emotions” and “strengths”, but most agreed that there was too much text and too many exercises. Conclusions: The online multi-component positive psychology intervention had only very limited effectiveness, as the decrease in job satisfaction in the control group may reflect a regression to the mean. The high baseline levels of well-being and engagement, intervention content, obligatory character of the intervention, and individuality are discussed as possible reasons for these results. Opportunities lie in creating a concise, work focused positive psychology intervention for nursing staff, including some form of autonomy support.
KW - Mental well-being
KW - Nursing home
KW - Online self-help
KW - Personal resources
KW - Positive psychology intervention
KW - Work engagement
KW - 22/4 OA procedure
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068484149&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.06.004
DO - 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.06.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 31295708
AN - SCOPUS:85068484149
SN - 0020-7489
VL - 98
SP - 48
EP - 56
JO - International journal of nursing studies
JF - International journal of nursing studies
ER -