NCT03475290

Internet-Based Intervention for Occupational Stress Among Medical Professionals

Efficacy of Internet-Based Intervention for Occupational Stress Among Medical Professionals: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 1,240 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of internet intervention for reduction of occupational stress and its negative consequences (job burnout, depression) among medical professionals through the enhancement of the resources that are critical for coping with stress: self-efficacy and perceived social support.

Detailed description

Medical professionals are at high risk for job stress and burnout. Research show that the negative effects of stress can be reduced through strengthening personal resources such as self-efficacy and perceived social support. In line with cultivation and enabling hypotheses (Schwarzer \& Knoll, 2007; Benight \& Bandura, 2004) either self-efficacy cultivates perceived support, or rather perceived support enables self-efficacy. This study aims at testing both hypotheses in experimental design by applying them as a theoretical framework for the Med-Stress: evidence-based, CBT-framed internet intervention to foster resource accumulation among medical professionals. The effectiveness of intervention will be tested in a four-arm randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of: 1) self-efficacy and perceived support sequential enhancement (cultivation hypothesis), 2) perceived support and self-efficacy sequential enhancement (enabling hypothesis), 3) only self-efficacy, and 4) only social support enhancement (controls). Primary outcomes are job stress and burnout, secondary outcomes include work engagement, depression, and secondary traumatic stress. Self-efficacy and perceived support are expected to mediate the relationships between condition assignment and outcomes. Assessments include baseline (T1), three- or six-weeks post-test (depending on the condition, T2), as well as six- and twelve-months follow-ups (T3, T4). Intervention effect sizes and between-groups comparisons at post-test and follow-ups will be calculated. This study will contribute to the findings on the role of personal resources in the development of job stress and burnout by demonstrating the cultivation vs enabling effects of self-efficacy and perceived social support.

Conditions

• Stress, Psychological, Occupational
• Burnout, Professional

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Personal resources' enhancement: self-efficacy and perceived social support	The condition reflects cultivation hypothesis and consists of 2 sequential modules with self-efficacy enhancement module (SE) preceding perceived social support enhancement module (SS). Each module is comprised of 3 evidence-based, CBT-framed exercises: 1) SE: mastery experience, vicarious experience, and action planning, 2) SS: received support \& cognitive distortions, social skills \& peer support, action planning. Participants will have an option to engage in one or more out of four additional modules: relaxation, cognitive reconstruction, mindfulness, and lifestyle. The condition takes 6 weeks, 1 week per exercise.
BEHAVIORAL	Personal resources' enhancement: perceived social support and self-efficacy	The condition reflects enabling hypothesis and consists of 2 sequential modules with perceived social support enhancement module (SS) preceding self-efficacy enhancement module (SE). Each module is comprised of 3 evidence-based, CBT-framed exercises: 1) SS: received support \& cognitive distortions, social skills \& peer support, and action planning, 2) SE: mastery experience, vicarious experience, and action planning. Participants will have an option to engage in one or more out of four additional modules: relaxation, cognitive reconstruction, mindfulness, and lifestyle. The condition takes 6 weeks, 1 week per exercise.
BEHAVIORAL	Personal resources' enhancement: self-efficacy	The condition consists of self-efficacy enhancement module (SE) and is comprised of 3 evidence-based, CBT-framed exercises: mastery experience, vicarious experience, and action planning. Participants will have an option to engage in one or more out of four additional modules: relaxation, cognitive reconstruction, mindfulness, and lifestyle. The condition takes 3 weeks, 1 week per exercise.
BEHAVIORAL	Personal resources' enhancement: perceived social support	The condition consists of perceived social support enhancement module (SS) and is comprised of 3 evidence-based, CBT-framed exercises: received support \& cognitive distortions, social skills \& peer support, and action planning. Participants will have an option to engage in one or more out of four additional modules: relaxation, cognitive reconstruction, mindfulness, and lifestyle. The condition takes 3 weeks, 1 week per exercise.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-10-08
• Primary completion: 2020-04-15
• Completion: 2020-04-15
• First posted: 2018-03-23
• Last updated: 2020-11-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Poland