Recovery Experience Questionnaire Research Articles

The assessment of detachment among university students: Validation of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire in educational contexts

<p>The objective of this study was to adapt and validate the <em>Recovery Experience Questionnaire</em> for use in an educational context. So far, this measure of detachment has mainly been used with workers. The study aimed to verify the factor validity and the criterion-related validity through correlation with self-regulation, engagement, coping strategies, and big-five personality dimensions in a sample of 468 Spanish university students. Several models proposed in the literature have been tested through confirmatory factor analysis. The results obtained confirmed the presence of four factors: psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery and control, as observed in previous studies within a workplace setting. Correlations obtained between these factors and the variables considered verified that detachment is significantly and positively associated with self-regulation, engagement, coping strategies, and certain types of personality; on the other side, detachment is significantly and negatively associated with irritation.</p>

Work stress, poor recovery and burnout in teachers.

Both work stress and poor recovery have been shown to contribute to the development of burnout. However, the role of recovery as a mediating mechanism that links work stress to burnout has not been sufficiently addressed in research. To examine recovery as a mediator in the relationship between work stress and burnout among teachers. A cross-sectional study of Finnish primary school teachers, in whom burnout was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey and work stress was conceptualized using the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model. Recovery was measured with the Recovery Experience Questionnaire and the Jenkins Sleep Problems Scale. Multiple linear regression analyses and bootstrap mediation analyses adjusted for age, gender and total working hours were performed. Among the 76 study subjects, high ERI was associated with burnout and its dimensions of exhaustion, cynicism and reduced professional efficacy. Poor recovery experiences, in terms of low relaxation during leisure time, partially mediated the relationship between ERI and reduced professional efficacy. Sleep problems, in the form of non-restorative sleep, partially mediated the relationship between ERI and both burnout and exhaustion. Supporting a balance between effort and reward at work may enhance leisure time recovery and improve sleep quality, as well as help to reduce burnout rates.

The psychometric properties of the Recovery Experiences Questionnaire of employees in a higher education institution

The objective of this study was to investigate the factorial validity and reliability of scores from the Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ) in a higher education institution. As part of the measure validation, the relationships of the four recovery dimensions (psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery and control) to other variables in the nomological network (work-home interference, home-work interference and ill health) were investigated. Data was collected from 366 participants (females = 65.3%; white = 80.35%). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test competing factorial models. The results supported a four-factor structure for the REQ. Relationships with other variables in the nomological network were all theoretically consistent, as expected.

Effect of a forest therapy program and the forest environment on female workers’ stress

This study aims to determine the effects of forest therapy (FT) program and the frequent use of forest environment in daily life on workers’ stress levels on the hypothesis that FT program and frequent use of forest environment in daily life would reduce workers’ stress level both psychologically and physiologically.Participants were workers in the healthcare and counseling service industries, which are known for their heavy emotional burden on workers, and thereby had high levels of employee stress and burnout. In total, 211 subjects were recruited and divided into two groups using a screening survey according to the frequency of using the forest environment in daily life. Of the 91 subjects who reported low frequency of use, 19 female workers volunteered to join the FT program and were assigned to the experimental group. Among the 120 subjects with a high frequency of use, 20 female workers volunteered for the assessment of stress levels and were subsequently assigned to the control group.We measured stress levels through heart rate variability, cortisol concentration, natural killer cell activity, and scores on the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, Worker's Stress Response Inventory, and the Recovery Experience Questionnaire.The results showed subjective stress relief after the FT program. The experimental group exhibited higher scores on the mastery factor of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire. Further, the experimental group showed more recovery experiences following participation in the FT program. The control group showed a significantly higher standard deviation in normal-to-normal intervals and the square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (measures of heart rate variability) and lower cortisol level as compared to the experimental group.These results suggest that frequent users of the forest environment are less stressed than are low frequency users, and that the FT program relieves participants’ psychosocial stress.

The state version of the recovery experience questionnaire: A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis

Although many studies in the field of recovery from work utilize a quantitative diary design, little is known about the validity of the daily measures used in such studies. The present study analyses the factor structure of the state version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ) on the between-person (trait) and within-person (state) levels. A total of 127 employees participated in the study. Most of them filled out the questionnaire on three consecutive workdays (N = 375 observations). Results of multilevel confirmatory factor analyses (MCFA) showed that a four-factor model fit the data better than alternative models at both levels of analysis (between and within). In addition, some factor loadings of the four recovery experience dimensions (particularly for relaxation and control) were lower on the day level as compared to the general level. Nevertheless, we conclude that both state and trait versions of the REQ show good psychometric properties. Implications for future research on recovery are discussed.

Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health Study

Background. As distress in society increases, including work environments, individual capacities to compete with stress have to be strengthened. Objective. We examined the impact of a web-based happiness training on psychological and physiological parameters, by self-report and objective means, in an occupational health setting. Methods. Randomized controlled trial with 147 employees. Participants were divided into intervention (happiness training) and control groups (waiting list). The intervention consisted of a seven-week online training. Questionnaires were administered before, after, and four weeks after training. The following scales were included: VAS (happiness and satisfaction), WHO-5 Well-being Index, Stress Warning Signals, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Recovery Experience Questionnaire, and Flourishing Scale. Subgroup samples for saliva cortisol and alpha-amylase determinations were taken, indicating stress, and Attention Network Testing for effects on attention regulation. Results. Happiness (P = 0.000; d = 0.93), satisfaction (P = 0.000; d = 1.17), and quality of life (P = 0.000; d = 1.06) improved; perceived stress was reduced (P = 0.003; d = 0.64); mindfulness (P = 0.006; d = 0.62), flourishing (P = 0.002; d = 0.63), and recovery experience (P = 0.030; d = 0.42) also increased significantly. No significant differences in the Attention Network Tests and saliva results occurred (intergroup), except for one saliva value. Conclusions. The web-based training can be a useful tool for stabilizing health/psychological well-being and work/life balance.

Validation of the Japanese Version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire

The aim of this study was to validate the Japanese version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ-J), which assesses how individuals unwind and recuperate from work during leisure time (i.e., psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery and control). The translated and back-translated REQ was administered via the Internet to 2,520 Japanese employees from various occupations. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate factorial validity. The relationship with potential predictors and consequences of recovery experiences were investigated to evaluate construct validity. Internal consistency was examined to evaluate its reliability. A series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the hypothesized four-factor model fit the data best. Construct validity was generally supported by expected correlations of recovery experiences with possible predictors and consequences. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for each of the four subscales was sufficient (0.85-0.89). This study confirmed that the REQ-J is an adequate measure of recovery experiences that can be used in the Japanese context.

A validation study of a Korean version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire

This study validated the recovery experience questionnaire developed by Sonnentag & Fritz (2007) using a Korean sample (N = 286). The four-factor model consisting of psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, and control was also applied to this Korean sample, and each subscale showed a high internal consistency. Job demands, job control, technology usage during weekend, leisure motivation, burnout, and physical symptoms were measured to examine how they were related to weekend recovery experience. Implications of the results and directions for future research were discussed. In particular, cross-cultural research was suggested.

A Validation Study of a Korean Version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire

This study validated the recovery experience questionnaire developed by Sonnentag & Fritz (2007) using a Korean sample (N = 286). The four-factor model consisting of psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, and control was also applied to this Korean sample, and each subscale showed a high internal consistency. Job demands, job control, technology usage during weekend, leisure motivation, burnout, and physical symptoms were measured to examine how they were related to weekend recovery experience. Implications of the results and directions for future research were discussed. In particular, cross-cultural research was suggested.

The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: Development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work.

Drawing on the mood regulation and job-stress recovery literature, four self-report measures for assessing how individuals unwind and recuperate from work during leisure time were developed (Study 1). Confirmatory factor analyses with a calibration and a cross-validation sample (total N=930) showed that four recovery experiences can be differentiated: psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery, and control (Study 2). Examination of the nomological net in a subsample of Study 2 (N=271) revealed moderate relations of the recovery experiences with measures of job stressors and psychological well-being; relations with coping and personality variables were generally low (Study 3). Potential applications for the future use of these short 4-item measures in longitudinal and diary research are discussed.