BACKGROUND
Work engagement is important for employee’s well-being and work performance. However, no intervention study has investigated the effect of eMental Health intervention on work engagement among workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to examine the effects of the newly developed smartphone-based stress management program (“ABC stress management”) on improving work engagement among hospital nurses in Vietnam, a LMIC.
METHODS
Full-time nurses (N= 949) were randomly assigned to two types of intervention groups and a control group. A 6-week, 6-lesson program offering basic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-based stress management skills); provided in free-choice (Program A) and fixed order (Program B). Work engagement was assessed at baseline, 3- and 7-month follow-ups in each of the three groups.
RESULTS
Program B showed a significant intervention effect on improving work engagement at 3-month follow-up (p = 0.049) with a small effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.16). Neither program achieved effectiveness at a 7-month follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrated that a smartphone-based stress management program was effective in improving work engagement in nurses in Vietnam, but the effect was small and temporary. This smartphone-based low-cost intervention may improve work engagement for workers in LMICs.
CLINICALTRIAL
UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000033139.
Development and formative evaluation of a Web-based stress management program to promote psychological well-being
