Evaluation of a seven-week web-based happiness training to improve psychological well-being, reduce stress, and enhance mindfulness and flourishing: a randomized controlled occupational health study.
Background. As distress in society increases, including work environments, individual capacities to compete with stress have to be strengthened. Objective. We examined the impact of a web-based happiness training on psychological and physiological parameters, by self-report and objective means, in an occupational health setting. Methods. Randomized controlled trial with 147 employees. Participants were divided into intervention (happiness training) and control groups (waiting list). The intervention consisted of a seven-week online training. Questionnaires were administered before, after, and four weeks after training. The following scales were included: VAS (happiness and satisfaction), WHO-5 Well-being Index, Stress Warning Signals, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Recovery Experience Questionnaire, and Flourishing Scale. Subgroup samples for saliva cortisol and alpha-amylase determinations were taken, indicating stress, and Attention Network Testing for effects on attention regulation. Results. Happiness (P = 0.000; d = 0.93), satisfaction (P = 0.000; d = 1.17), and quality of life (P = 0.000; d = 1.06) improved; perceived stress was reduced (P = 0.003; d = 0.64); mindfulness (P = 0.006; d = 0.62), flourishing (P = 0.002; d = 0.63), and recovery experience (P = 0.030; d = 0.42) also increased significantly. No significant differences in the Attention Network Tests and saliva results occurred (intergroup), except for one saliva value. Conclusions. The web-based training can be a useful tool for stabilizing health/psychological well-being and work/life balance.
Division of Integrative Health Promotion, Faculty of Social Work and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg, Germany ; Department Healthy University, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg, Germany.
T
T
Feicht
Institute for Frontier Areas in Psychology and Mental Health, Wilhelmstr. 3a, 79098 Freiburg, Germany.
M
M
Wittmann
Division of Social Work, Faculty of Social Work and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg, Germany.
G
G
Jose
Foundation Humor Hilft Heilen, Dolivostraße 9, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany.
A
A
Mock
Foundation Humor Hilft Heilen, Dolivostraße 9, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany.
E
E
von Hirschhausen
Division of Integrative Health Promotion, Faculty of Social Work and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg, Germany ; Department Healthy University, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg, Germany ; Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, 223 Store Hill Rd, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA ; Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, CO-1309, 2nd Floor, Office 204A, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
T
T
Esch