title: Health effects on leaders and co-workers of an art-based leadership development program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are very few evaluations of the effectiveness of leadership development programs. The purpose of the study was to examine whether an art-based leadership program may have a more beneficial effect than a conventional one on leaders' and their corresponding subordinates' mental and biological stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participating leaders were randomized to 2 year-long leadership programs, 1 art-based and 1 conventional, with follow-up of the leaders and their subordinates at 12 and 18 months. The art-based program built on an experimental theatre form, a collage of literary text and music, followed by writing and discussions focused on existential and ethical problems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 18 months a pattern was clearly visible with advantage for the art-based group. In the art group (leaders and their subordinates together as well as for subordinates only) compared to the conventional group, there was a significant improvement of mental health, covert coping and performance-based self-esteem as well as significantly less winter/fall deterioration in the serum concentration of the regenerative/anabolic hormone dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate a more beneficial long-term health effect of the art-based intervention compared to a conventional approach. Positive results for both standardized questionnaires and biological parameters strengthened the findings. The study provides a rationale for further evaluation of the effectiveness of this alternative educational approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. julia@romanowska.com
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romanowska
authors.forename: Gerry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Britt-Maj
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Wikström
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Westerlund
authors.forename: Töres
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Theorell
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001154:Art; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003479:Curriculum; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods*; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D010559:Personnel Management / Q000379:methods*; D012621:Seasons; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013548:Sweden
chemical_list: D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D006854:Hydrocortisone