Practical resiliency training for healthcare workers during COVID-19: results from a randomised controlled trial testing the Community Resiliency Model for well-being support

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ingrid Duva, Emory University; Melinda Higgins, Emory University; Marianne Baird, Emory Healthcare; David Lawson, Emory University; Jordan Murphy, Emory University; Linda Grabbe, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-11-23
• Publisher: Emory University Libraries
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2022-002011
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMJ Open Quality
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 4
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported, in part, by the Woodruff Health Sciences Center at Emory University via an Interprofessional Education and Collaboration Project Grant (IPEC).
• Keywords: Quality improvement; Pandemics; United States; Mental health; Workplace; Health Personnel; Teamwork; Mental Health; Humans; Patient safety; Safety culture; COVID-19
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Nursing

Abstract

Objective To introduce the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) as mental well-being support for healthcare workers working through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Randomised controlled trial with a no treatment control group. Setting Two large urban health systems in the Southern United States between October 2020 and June 2021. Participants Eligible participants were currently employed as healthcare workers within the participating healthcare systems. 275 employees registered and consented electronically in response to email invitations. 253 participants completed the baseline survey necessary to be randomised and included in analyses. Intervention Participants were assigned 1:1 to the control or intervention group at the time of registration. Intervention participants were then invited to 1-hour virtual CRM class teaching skills to increase somatic awareness in the context of self and other care. Main outcome measures Self-reported data were collected rating somatic awareness, well-being, symptoms of stress, work engagement and interprofessional teamwork. Results Baseline data on the total sample of 275 (53% nurses) revealed higher symptoms of stress and lower well-being than the general population. The intervention participants who attended a CRM class (56) provided follow-up survey data at 1 week (44) and 3 months (36). Significant improvement for the intervention group at 3 months was reported for the well-being measures (WHO-5, p<0.0087, d=0.66; Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, p<0.0004, d=0.66), teamwork measure (p≤0.0002, d=0.41) and stress (Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, p=0.0058, d=46). Conclusion Baseline results indicate mental health is a concern for healthcare workers. Post intervention findings suggest that CRM is a practical approach to support well-being for healthcare workers during a crisis such as this pandemic. The simple tools that comprise the model can serve as a starting point for or complement self-care strategies to enhance individual resilience and buffer the effects of working in an increasingly stressful work environment.