Kotaro Shoji*, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, United States Ferderick W Gibson, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, United States Roman Cieslak, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland Valeire Anderson, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, United States Judith Bock, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, United States Lisa Decker, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, United States Carolyn Yeager, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, United States Charles Benight, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, United States Track: Research Presentation Topic: Web 2.0 approaches for behaviour change, public health and biosurveillance Presentation Type: Poster presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Last modified: 2014-06-09

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Background: Behavioral healthcare providers for military personnel are often exposed to indirect trauma through their work with clients; the rate of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among these providers has been estimated at 19.2%. Because STS is highly correlated with job burnout, these providers experience a high probability of suffering the effects of burnout. Organizationally, burnout is a critical issue because it may lead to diminished quality of care and high turnover. We developed the SupportNet intervention (website and professional coaching) to reduce job burnout among military behavioral healthcare providers. SupportNet, based on the theoretical framework of social cognitive theory, utilizes web-based support system with coaching to enhance self-efficacy and social support.

Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of the SupportNet intervention in reducing job burnout among military behavioral healthcare providers in the U.S., using a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods: Participants were 14 behavioral healthcare providers (78.6% female, mean age = 48.00 (SD = 10.92)) working with military personnel in the U.S. All participants completed a pre-RCT survey measuring job burnout. Participants were then randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group A (five participants) worked on the SupportNet website with the guidance of a professional coach for eight weeks. Group C (five participants) worked on the website without coaching. Group B served as a delayed treatment control group.

At the completion of the RCT, participants in Groups A and C completed a post-RCT job burnout measure. Approximately eight weeks after the initial pre-test, participants in Group B completed a second survey measuring job burnout, and began working on the website with coach guidance. Following completion of their intervention activities, Group B participants completed a post-RCT survey measuring job burnout.

Results: To compare job burnout pre- and post-RCT among the three groups, we conducted a 2 (time: pre-RCT vs. post-RCT) by 3 (group) mixed model analysis of variance. For Group B (delayed treatment), job burnout scores from the two pre-RCT measurements were used as a control condition.

Results showed no significant main effect for time, F(1, 11) = 2.35, p = .15, partial eta-squared = .18. The main effect calculated for group was also not significant, F(2, 11) = 0.35, p = .71, partial eta-squared = .06. However, the interaction effect of group and time was significant, F(2, 11) = 6.97, p = 0.1, partial eta-squared = .56. A Scheffe’s planned follow-up comparison indicated job burnout significantly decreased from pre- to post-RCT in group A, t(13) = 3.99, p < .01, d = 1.54, although groups B and C did not exhibit such a pre- to post-RCT difference.

Conclusion: Results indicated the SupportNet intervention, in tandem with professional coaching, was effective in reducing job burnout. Coaching seems to be an important catalyst encouraging participants to engage in the website, and serving as a measure of accountability for doing so. However, this effect limited to the immediate treatment group. We will explore the implications of this pattern of results.