A Group Intervention to Promote Resilience in Nursing Professionals: A Randomised Controlled Trial

In this study, a new group intervention program to foster resilience in nursing professionals was tested for efficacy. In total, 72 nurses were recruited and randomised to either an intervention condition or to a wait list control condition. The study had a pre-test, post-test, follow-up design. The eight-week program targeted six resilience factors: cognitive flexibility, coping, self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-care, and mindfulness. Compared to the control group, the intervention group reported a significant improvement in the primary outcome mental health (measured with the General Health Questionnaire) from pre-test (M = 20.79; SD = 9.85) to post-test (M = 15.81; SD = 7.13) with an estimated medium effect size (p = 0.03, η = 0.08) at post-test. Further significant improvements were found for resilience and other resilience related outcomes measures. The individual stressor load of the subjects was queried retrospectively in each measurement. Stress levels had a significant influence on mental health. The intervention effect was evident even though the stress level in both groups did not change significantly between the measurements. Follow-up data suggest that the effects were sustained for up to six months after intervention. The resilience intervention reduced mental burden in nurses and also positively affected several additional psychological outcomes.