Burnout and effort-reward imbalance improvement for teachers by a manual-based group program.
OBJECTIVE
We developed a manual-based psychological group program aimed at teachers and focussing on their professional relationships. The intervention comprised ten sessions over a 10-month period. The aim of the program was to strengthen teachers' health. We investigated whether the effects of our intervention, during which the MBI and ERI were applied, result in general alleviation of occupational stress experienced by teachers.


METHODS
This is a randomized controlled trial. All teachers (N = 2,484) of two school types (grammar schools and secondary modern schools) in 3 districts of southwestern Germany were invited to take part in our program. All teachers declaring their interest (N = 337) in the intervention were included in the project. They were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (N = 171) or to the control group (N = 166).


RESULTS
We found that teachers who participated in at least 50% of the program benefited from this short intervention. Significant improvement was achieved on the two MBI scales, Emotional Exhaustion and Personal Accomplishment, as well as on the ERI subscale Appreciation.


CONCLUSIONS
Teachers' occupational stress level may be decreased by taking part in a short manual-based psychological group intervention that focuses on more effective handling of interpersonal problems in school. Therefore, teachers should receive support and guidance in developing the appropriate skills necessary to cope with stress appropriately.
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Freiburg University Medical School, Hauptstrasse. 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
Thomas
T
Unterbrink
Ruth
R
Pfeifer
Lorena
L
Krippeit
Linda
L
Zimmermann
Uwe
U
Rose
Andreas
A
Joos
Armin
A
Hartmann
Michael
M
Wirsching
Joachim
J
Bauer
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012201:Reward; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires