A multi-site randomized controlled trial of a brief daily workplace well-being program for community mental health workers —an integrative body-mind-spirit approach

ABSTRACT

A brief daily body-mind-spirit (BMS) workplace well-being program has been developed for community mental health workers (CMHW). Aiming to evaluate the program’s efficacy, this study adopted a multi-site randomized controlled trial design. Primary outcome measures included work engagement and burnout. The data analysis included 175 participants. ANOVA revealed significant group x time interaction effects on work engagement (η2 = 0.037, p = 0.039) and on one of its sub-scores: absorption (η2 = 0.048, p = 0.014). Regarding burnout, ANOVA revealed that at T4 there were significant group x time effects on burnout total score and all three of its sub-scores, including work-related burnout, client-related burnout and personal burnout. Partial eta squared ranged between 0.028 and 0.071, suggesting a small-to-medium effect size. Overall findings demonstrated the protective effect of the Brief Daily BMS program in preserving work engagement during challenging conditions, and to a lesser extent in reducing burnout among CMHW.

KEYWORDS:

• Workplace well-being
• body-mind-spirit
• work engagement
• burnout
• community mental health

Acknowledgments

The study was funded by the General Research Fund, Research Grants Council and the Hong Kong SAR Government.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee, the Hong Kong SAR Government [Reference No. GRF17610418].

Notes on contributors

Siu-man NG

Siu-man NG Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong

Amenda M. WANG

Amenda M. WANG Senior Research Assistant, Part-time Assistant Lecturer, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong

Hui Yun Li

Hui Yun Li Doctorate Student, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong

Melody H.Y Fung

Melody H.Y. FUNG Post Doctoral Fellow, Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong

Herman H.M LO

Herman H.M. LO Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Albert YEUNG

Albert YEUNG Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Daniel K.W YOUNG

Daniel K.W. YOUNG Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University

Ted C. T. Fong

Ted C. T. Fong Research Officer, Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong

Wei Yi XIE

Wei Yi XIE Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong