Mental Health Resources and Employability in Healthcare

Mental Health Resources for Employability of Health-care Workers

This interventional study evaluates the effectiveness of two 10-week self-regulation training programs (coaching-based and mindfulness-based) designed to enhance mental health and employability resources among healthcare workers (HCWs). Participants are allocated into two intervention arms based on their baseline level of emotional self-regulation. The study applies a non-randomized controlled pre-test/post-test design. The primary outcome is change in employability. Secondary outcomes include mental health indicators, such as perceived stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and self-regulation. A follow-up assessment was conducted six weeks after the post-test. Additionally, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore participants' subjective experiences with the interventions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Burnout, Professional; Occupational Stress; Mental Health; Emotional Regulation
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Mindfulness training program; Behavioral: Coaching-Based Self-Regulation Training

Detailed Description

This interventional study employed a non-randomized, parallel-group, pre-test/post-test design to examine the impact of two different behavioral interventions on healthcare workers' (HCWs) psychological resources and employability.

Participant Allocation: Participants were allocated into two study arms based on their initial level of emotional self-regulation, measured by the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) at baseline. This tailored approach ensured that participants received the intervention most suited to their current psychological needs.

Study Arms and Interventions:

1. Mindfulness Training Program: Participants with lower baseline self-regulation scores underwent a 10-week mindfulness-based intervention. This program focused on emotional stabilization, stress management, and cognitive processing using meditative techniques, relaxation, and reflective writing.
2. Coaching Training Program: Participants with optimal/higher baseline self-regulation scores participated in a 10-week professional coaching program. This intervention focused on identifying core challenges, leveraging personal strengths, and setting actionable career goals to enhance professional growth and employability.

Data Collection and Methodology: Quantitative data were collected at three time points: Baseline (Week 0), Post-intervention (Week 10), and a Follow-up assessment (Week 16). The primary focus was the change in employability scores, with secondary measures tracking anxiety, perceived stress, and general well-being.

Qualitative Component: To provide a deeper understanding of the intervention's impact, a qualitative component was included. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of participants after the program completion. These interviews explored subjective experiences and perceived changes in professional life, and the data were subsequently processed using thematic analysis.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 54
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Slovakia
  • Slovakia
    • Bratislava, Slovakia, Slovakia, 821 05
      • Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18+
• Employed as healthcare worker
• Willing to participate in 10-week intervention
• Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current participation in another structured psychological intervention
• Self-reported mental health concerns that the participant feels may prevent safe or full participation in the training program

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Mindfulness Training Program; Participants with lower baseline emotional self-regulation receive a structured 10-week mindfulness-based intervention aimed at improving emotional regulation and stress management.	Behavioral: Mindfulness training program; The mindfulness program is a ten-week intervention designed for participants with lower baseline self-regulation. It focuses on developing skills such as stress management, emotion regulation, and cognitive processing. The program utilizes a combination of meditative mindfulness, relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and reflective writing. The aim is to achieve an optimal level of self-regulation to reduce anxious or depressive thoughts and promote employability.
Experimental: Coaching Training Program; Participants with optimal baseline emotional self-regulation receive a structured 10-week coaching-based self-regulation training focused on goal setting, resilience, and career development.	Behavioral: Coaching-Based Self-Regulation Training; The coaching program is a ten-week intervention based on a meta-analysis of employability training programs. It helps participants identify core professional challenges and personal strengths. Participants work on setting specific goals, creating action plans, and following up on execution. The primary aim is to empower healthcare workers to take actions that reduce stress and improve mental health to support better long-term employability.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in overall employability score	Employability was assessed using the Dispositional Measure of Employability (Employability Scale). The scale consists of 25 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Total average scores range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater employability.	Baseline (Pre-test), 10 weeks (Post-test), and 16 weeks (Follow-up)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Mental Health Indicators: Change in Self-Regulation	Self-regulation will be assessed using the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire. The instrument contains 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with total average scores ranging from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate better self-regulation.	Baseline (Pre-test), 10 weeks (Post-test), and 16 weeks (Follow-up)
Change in Mental Health Indicators: Change in Perceived Employability	Perceived employability will be measured using the Perceived Employability Scale (3-item version). Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with total average scores ranging from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate higher perceived employability (better outcome).	Baseline (Pre-test), 10 weeks (Post-test), and 16 weeks (Follow-up)
Change in Mental Health Indicators: Change in Psychological Well-Being	Psychological well-being will be assessed using the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index. The scale includes 5 items rated from 0 to 5. The total score is multiplied by four, resulting in a total score of 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater psychological well-being (better outcome) and lower scores indicate depression.	Baseline (Pre-test), 10 weeks (Post-test), and 16 weeks (Follow-up)
Change in Mental Health Indicators: Change in Anxiety Symptoms	Anxiety symptoms will be measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale. The scale consists of 7 items rated from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day), with total scores ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptom severity (worse outcome)	Baseline (Pre-test), 10 weeks (Post-test), and 16 weeks (Follow-up)
Change in Mental Health Indicators: Change in Perceived Stress	Perceived stress will be assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale - 4 Item Version. The scale includes 4 items rated from 0 to 4, yielding total scores ranging from 0 to 16. Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress (worse outcome)	Baseline (Pre-test), 10 weeks (Post-test), and 16 weeks (Follow-up)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Comenius University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Cohen, S. (1988). Perceived stress in a probability sample of the United States. In S. Spacapan & S. Oskamp (Eds.), The social psychology of health (pp. 31-67). Sage Publications, Inc. Fugate, M., & Kinicki, A. J. (2008). A dispositional approach to employability: Development of a measure and test of implications for employee reactions to organizational change. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 81(3), 503-527. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317907X241579 Jakešová, J., Gavora, P., Kalenda, J., & Vávrová, S. (2016). Czech validation of the self-regulation and self-efficacy questionnaires for learning. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 217, 313-321. Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092 Topp CW, Østergaard SD, Søndergaard S, Bech P. The WHO-5 Well-Being Index: a systematic review of the literature. Psychother Psychosom. 2015;84(3):167-176. Wittekind, A., Raeder, S., & Grote, G. (2010). A longitudinal study of determinants of perceived employability. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31(4), 566-586. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.646

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 20, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 11, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): February 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 25, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 9, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Mindfulness; Coaching; Self-regulation; Employability; Health-care workers
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Burnout, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Stress, Psychological; Occupational Diseases; Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; Social Behavior; Occupational Stress; Burnout, Professional; Psychological Well-Being; Self-Control; Emotional Regulation
• Other Study ID Numbers: 09I03-03-V04-00257

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No