 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Doug Oman, PhD, Public Health Institute, 2001 Addison Street, Second Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704-1103, 707-878-2573, DougOman@post.Harvard.edu, John Hedberg, MD, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 165 South Union Blvd, Suite 800, Lakewood, CO 80228, and Carl E. Thoresen, PhD, Education, Psychology, Psychiatry/Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 20160 Black Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033-9535.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects on caregiving self-efficacy, stress and burnout of an eight week, 2 hour per week training for health professionals in spiritual-wisdom-based self-management tools. Drawing extensively on spiritual wisdom traditions, the program may be practiced by adherents to any major religious faith, as well as those outside of all traditions. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants (N=61) were recruited through hospitals in Colorado, and included physicians, nurses, chaplains and other health professionals actively involved in patient care. After a pretest, participants were randomly allocated to an intervention condition (n=30) and a wait-list comparison group (n=31). The training program was based on a previously researched adaptation for health professionals of a comprehensive nonsectarian program from Easwaran (1991/1978). Participants were offered continuing professional education credits through the host hospital education department. Pretest, posttest, and 8-week followup data were gathered on spirituality, caregiving self-efficacy, perceived stress, and burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment). RESULTS: Beneficial treatment effects trends were observed at posttest for all measures except depersonalization, and were statistically significant for increased caregiving self-efficacy (p<0.05) and reduced stress (p<0.05). Beneficial effects became even stronger and more statistically significant at followup for increased caregiving self-efficacy (p<0.01), reduced stress (p<0.001), reduced emotional exhaustion (p<0.05), and increased personal accomplishment (p<0.05). Participants also reported increases at posttest and followup in self-reported spirituality (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Evidence suggests this program enhances caregiving self-efficacy, reduces stress and burnout, and may merit inclusion in continuing education curricula for healthcare professionals.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Caregivers, Self-Efficacy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Handout (.doc format, 1595.5 kb)