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. 2024 Oct 16;21(10):1365.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph21101365.

Promoting Resilience in Healthcare Workers: A Preventative Mental Health Education Program

Scarlett S Ho  1 , Wuraola Sosina  1 , Jonathan M DePierro  1 , Stefanie Perez  1 , Aysha Khan  1 , Sydney Starkweather  1   2 , Deborah B Marin  1 , Vansh Sharma  1 , Jonathan A Ripp  3 , Lauren A Peccoralo  3 , Dennis S Charney  1   4   5
Affiliations

Promoting Resilience in Healthcare Workers: A Preventative Mental Health Education Program

Scarlett S Ho et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Healthcare workers face greater risks for mental health conditions and chronic stress due to the demanding nature of their roles. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges and increased vulnerabilities to long-term mental health conditions. The present study adapts an existing resilience-based educational workshop program to address the time constraints and unique needs of the healthcare workforce in a post-COVID-19 world. Expanded from its initial focus on resilience, the workshop curriculum incorporates psychoeducation on common mental health issues. Between July 2022 and June 2024, a 15 min "huddle" format offered on-site training to equip HCWs in a large urban health system with coping strategies to prevent, manage, and recover from stress. Attendance and anonymous feedback were collected at each session via brief electronic surveys. Participant responses (n = 1403) obtained immediately post-huddle suggested positive impact on stress management, perceived leadership support, and resilience. Findings show the potential of brief huddles to improve mental health and resilience in healthcare workers and similar workforces. Our findings support the efficacy of brief, evidence-based educational huddles in enhancing resilience, mental health awareness, and coping skills among HCWs. This model holds significant potential for widespread implementation across healthcare and other high-stress workplaces.

Keywords: coping skills; educational workshops; healthcare workers; mental health; resilience-building.

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Conflict of interest statement

J.M.D. and D.S.C. receive book royalties from Cambridge University Press and payments related to an editorial role with Springer Press. J.M.D., D.B.M. and V.S. are named on a patent application for a digital resilience building intervention, a technology that has yet to be licensed. L.A.P. received honoraria from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Stanford University, University of Montana and Baylor, Scott & White Health. J.A.R. receives honoraria for teaching in courses from Stanford University, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and HCA Healthcare; receiving consulting fees from Marvin, Inc., and lecturing widely in his area of expertise at a variety of academic institutions, state medical societies, accrediting bodies, and professional organizations for which he frequently receives honoraria. He receives royalties from Oxford University Press and is principal investigator for a Health Resources and Services Administration grant. He serves on the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative to Address Clinician Well-Being Steering Committee and the Board of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation. The remaining authors report no potential competing interest.

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