Evaluating Mind Fitness Training and Its Potential Effects on Surgical Residents’ Well-Being: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study

Background: There is evidence that psychosocial and spiritual interventions of short duration, such as reminiscence therapy, provide positive impacts on quality of life and emotional and existential well-being in adults receiving palliative care. Aim: To determine (1) the feasibility of integrating ‘LIFEView’, a video-based software with >1600 videos of world destinations, in palliative care settings, and (2) positive, neutral or harmful effects of using ‘LIFEView’ videos. Design: A mixed-methods pre–post intervention pilot study was conducted to collect feasibility and preliminary data on physical and psychological symptoms, physiological indicators, spiritual well-being and aspects of quality of life. Setting/participants: Adult patients on an inpatient palliative care unit or receiving care from a community palliative care consultation team who were capable of providing consent and completing the outcome measures were eligible participants. Results: Overall, 27/41 (66%) participants took part in the study. Feasibility criteria, including participant acceptability, low participant burden, tool completion rate and retention rate, were fulfilled, though challenges were experienced with recruitment. Modest improvements, though non-significant, were shown on preliminary data collected on physical and psychological symptoms using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System–revised, spiritual well-being assessed by the 12-item Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Spiritual Well-Being scale and physiological measurements. Qualitative analysis revealed five themes: motivations for using ‘LIFEView’, perceptions of the technology, reminiscence, ‘LIFEView’ as an adaptable technology and ongoing or future use. Conclusion: A future adequately powered study to investigate the impacts of ‘LIFEView’ on patient well-being and quality of life appears to be feasible.

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Experiences, mental well‐being and community‐based care needs of fathers of late preterm infants: A mixed‐methods pilot study

Nursing Open ◽

10.1002/nop2.370 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 127-136

Author(s):

Shahirose Sadrudin Premji ◽

Sandra Reilly ◽

Genevieve Currie ◽

Aliyah Dosani ◽

Lynnette May Oliver ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Well Being ◽

Late Preterm ◽

Care Needs ◽

Community Based ◽

Late Preterm Infants ◽

Mental Well Being

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Using the Principle Based Model to Improve Well-Being in School: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/2158244017716217 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 215824401771621 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dean Rees-Evans ◽

David J. Pevalin

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Well Being

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Pilot study of a randomised trial of a guided e-learning health promotion intervention for managers based on management standards for the improvement of employee well-being and reduction of sickness absence: the GEM (Guided E-learning for Managers) study

Public Health Research ◽

10.3310/phr03090 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (9) ◽

pp. 1-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Stephen A Stansfeld ◽

Lee Berney ◽

Kamaldeep Bhui ◽

Tarani Chandola ◽

Céire Costelloe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Sickness Absence ◽

Health Research ◽

Well Being ◽

Public Health Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Management Standards ◽

E Learning

BackgroundPsychosocial work environments influence employee well-being. There is a need for an evaluation of organisational-level interventions to modify psychosocial working conditions and hence employee well-being.ObjectiveTo test the acceptability of the trial and the intervention, the feasibility of recruitment and adherence to and likely effectiveness of the intervention within separate clusters of an organisation.DesignMixed methods: pilot cluster randomised controlled trial and qualitative study (in-depth interviews, focus group and observation).ParticipantsEmployees and managers of a NHS trust. Inclusion criteria were the availability of sickness absence data and work internet access. Employees on long-term sick leave and short-term contracts and those with a notified pregnancy were excluded.InterventionE-learning program for managers based on management standards over 10 weeks, guided by a facilitator and accompanied by face-to-face meetings. Three clusters were randomly allocated to receive the guided e-learning intervention; a fourth cluster acted as a control.Main outcome measuresRecruitment and participation of employees and managers; acceptability of the intervention and trial; employee subjective well-being using the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS); and feasibility of collecting sickness absence data.ResultsIn total, 424 employees out of 649 approached were recruited and 41 managers out of 49 were recruited from the three intervention clusters. Of those consenting, 350 [83%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 79% to 86%] employees completed the baseline assessment and 291 (69%, 95% CI 64% to 73%) completed the follow-up questionnaires. Sickness absence data were available from human resources for 393 (93%, 95% CI 90% to 95%) consenting employees. In total, 21 managers adhered to the intervention, completing at least three of the six modules. WEMWBS scores fell slightly in all groups, from 50.4 to 49.0 in the control group and from 51.0 to 49.9 in the intervention group. The overall intervention effect was 0.5 (95% CI –3.2 to 4.2). The fall in WEMWBS score was significantly less among employees whose managers adhered to the intervention than among those employees whose managers did not (–0.7 vs. 1.6, with an adjusted difference of 1.6, 95% CI 0.1 to 3.2). The intervention and trial were acceptable to managers, although our study raises questions about the widely used concept of ‘acceptability’. Managers reported insufficient time to engage with the intervention and lack of senior management ‘buy-in’. It was thought that the intervention needed better integration into organisational processes and practice.ConclusionsThe mixed-methods approach proved valuable in illuminating reasons for the trial findings, for unpacking processes of implementation and for understanding the influence of study context. We conclude from the results of our pilot study that further mixed-methods research evaluating the intervention and study design is needed. We found that it is feasible to carry out an economic evaluation of the intervention. We plan a further mixed-methods study to re-evaluate the intervention boosted with additional elements to encourage manager engagement and behaviour change in private and public sector organisations with greater organisational commitment.Study registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN58661009.FundingThis project was funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme and will be published in full inPublic Health Research; Vol. 3, No. 9. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

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A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study of Perinatal Risk and Resilience During COVID-19

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health ◽

10.1177/2150132720944074 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

pp. 215013272094407 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Charlotte V. Farewell ◽

Jennifer Jewell ◽

Jessica Walls ◽

Jenn A. Leiferman

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Mood Disorders ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Perinatal Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Perinatal Period ◽

Postpartum Women ◽

Health And Well Being

Introduction/Objectives: National guidelines underscore the need for improvement in the detection and treatment of mood disorders in the perinatal period. Exposure to disasters can amplify perinatal mood disorders and even have intergenerational impacts. The primary aim of this pilot study was to use mixed-methods to better understand the mental health and well-being effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as sources of resilience, among women during the perinatal period. Methods: The study team used a simultaneous exploratory mixed-methods design to investigate the primary objective. Thirty-one pregnant and postpartum women participated in phone interviews and were invited to complete an online survey which included validated mental health and well-being measures. Results: Approximately 12% of the sample reported high depressive symptomatology and 60% reported moderate or severe anxiety. Forty percent of the sample reported being lonely. The primary themes related to stress were uncertainty surrounding perinatal care, exposure risk for both mother and baby, inconsistent messaging from information sources and lack of support networks. Participants identified various sources of resilience, including the use of virtual communication platforms, engaging in self-care behaviors (eg, adequate sleep, physical activity, and healthy eating), partner emotional support, being outdoors, gratitude, and adhering to structures and routines. Conclusions: Since the onset of COVID-19, many pregnant and postpartum women report struggling with stress, depression, and anxiety symptomatology. Findings from this pilot study begin to inform future intervention work to best support this highly vulnerable population.

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Addressing “Nature-Deficit Disorder”: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of Young Adults Attending a Wilderness Camp

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2015/651827 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Sara L. Warber ◽

Ashley A. DeHudy ◽

Matthew F. Bialko ◽

Melissa R. Marselle ◽

Katherine N. Irvine

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Social Relations ◽

Well Being ◽

Natural World ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Nature Deficit Disorder ◽

Perceived Safety ◽

Nature Deficit

Background and Objectives. Rapid urbanization raises concern about chronic human health issues along with less frequent interaction with the natural world. “Nature-deficit disorder,” a nonclinical term, describes this potential impact on the well-being of youth. We conducted a mixed methods pilot study of young adults attending a four-week wilderness camp to investigate whether nature-based camp experiences would increase connection to nature and promote multiple dimensions of well-being.Methods. Participants completed precamp (n= 46) and postcamp (n= 36) online questionnaires including nature-related and holistic well-being measures. Differences were investigated using pairedt-tests. Interviews (n= 16) explored camp experiences and social relations.Results. All nature-related measures—exposure, knowledge, skills, willingness to lead, perceived safety, sense of place, and nature connection—significantly increased. Well-being outcomes also significantly improved, including perceived stress, relaxation, positive and negative emotions, sense of wholeness, and transcendence. Physical activity and psychological measures showed no change. Interviews described how the wilderness environment facilitated social connections.Conclusion. Findings illustrate the change in nature relations and well-being that wilderness camp experiences can provide. Results can guide future research agendas and suggest that nature immersion experiences could address the risk of “nature-deficit disorder,” improve health, and prepare future environmental leaders.

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