Pragmatic randomized controlled trial of the Mind Management Skills for Life Programme as an intervention for occupational burnout in mental healthcare professionals

Abstract

Background Occupational burnout is highly prevalent in the mental healthcare workforce and associated with poorer job satisfaction, performance and outcomes. Aims To evaluate the effects of the Mind Management Skills for Life Programme on burnout and wellbeing. Methods N = 173 mental health nurses were recruited from the English National Health Service during the acute phase of the COVID-19 crisis. Participants were allocated to an immediate intervention or a delayed intervention control group, using a stepped wedge randomized controlled trial design. Measures of burnout (OLBI) and wellbeing (WEMWBS) were completed at four time-points: [1] baseline; [2] after the first group finished the intervention; [3] after the second group finished the intervention; and [4] six-months follow-up. Results Between-group differences were compared at each time-point using ANCOVA adjusting for baseline severity. Statistically significant effects on burnout (d = 0.60) and wellbeing (d = −0.62) were found at time-point 2, favouring the intervention relative to waitlist control. No significant differences were found at subsequent time-points, indicating that both groups improved and maintained their gains after the intervention. Conclusions This intervention led to moderate improvements in burnout and wellbeing, despite the adverse circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of the study.