Stress, self-esteem and well-being among female health professionals: A randomized clinical trial on the impact of a self-care intervention mediated by the senses.

Eliseth Ribeiro Leão,Roselaine Coelho De Oliveira,Rita Lacerda Aquarone,Vivian Finotti Ribeiro,Daniela Reis Dal Fabbro,Rosa Friedlander,Rebeca Barqueiro De Oliveira,Cristiane Benvenuto Andrade,Elivane Da Silva Victor,Daniela Santos Ferreira,Ingrid Ribeiro Dos Santos,Alanna M Chamberlain

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172455

Eliseth Ribeiro Leão, Roselaine Coelho De Oliveira + Show 10 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172455

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Abstract

BackgroundStress levels are evident among health professionals. However, there are few studies on sensory-based self-care aimed at stress management, self-esteem and subjective well-being in this group of professionals.ObjectiveTo assess the impact of a self-care intervention mediated by the senses on the stress levels, self-esteem and well-being of health professionals in a hospital environment.MethodsA total of 93 health professionals participated in an unblinded clinical trial, randomized into four groups: 1) control (no intervention); 2) Monosensory—daily body moisturizing (DBM) with odorless cream; 3) Bisensory—DBM with scented cream; 4) Multisensory—DBM with scented cream associated with audiovisual material. Participants answered specific questionnaires to assess stress, self-esteem and well-being and cortisol samples were collected at baseline, 15 and 30 days following intervention, and at the 30-day follow-up.ResultsSelf-care was characterized as neglected, with most participants reporting inadequate hours of sleep (74%), irregular physical activity (68%), and inadequate nutrition (45%). Compared to the other groups, the Bisensory group had lower stress on all three assessments (p = 0.017; 0.012; 0.036), a life satisfaction 8% higher at follow-up than at baseline (95% CI: 2% to 15%, p = 0.016), a 10% increase in positive affect (95% CI: 2% to 19%, p = 0.011) and a 12% reduction in negative affect (95% CI: 3% to 21% less, p = 0.014) after 30 days. The Multisensory group showed improvement in self-esteem (p = 0.012) and reduced cortisol (p = 0.036) after 30 days of intervention. The control group showed no changes in the variables studied, except for cortisol: an increase at the 15-day evaluation (denoting higher risk for stress, p = 0.009) and a reduction at follow-up (p = 0.028), which was nevertheless within normal levels.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT02406755

Highlights

The stress of health professionals has been the subject of scientific research due to its costs and deleterious effects on individuals and organizations
H-SENSES project: Self care mediated by the senses
H-SENSES project: Self care mediated by the senses beats/minute), compound compass (6/8), melancholic and sweet

Summary

Introduction

The stress of health professionals has been the subject of scientific research due to its costs and deleterious effects on individuals and organizations. National and international studies have shown the potential negative effects of occupational stress on the health and well-being of health professionals, in terms of low satisfaction [1], physical and psychological complaints [2] and absenteeism [3,4]. Controlling stress is necessary to preserve workers health and well-being and to ensure quality of care and safety for the patient. This reinforces the need for self-care among professionals to allow them to recharge their energy, eventually leading to better work performance.

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