Three Good Tools: Positively reflecting backwards and forwards is associated with robust improvements in well-being across three distinct interventions

Kathryn C Adair, Lindsay A Kennedy, J Bryan Sexton, Kathryn C Adair, Lindsay A Kennedy, J Bryan Sexton

Abstract

Burnout in healthcare workers (HCWs) is costly, consequential, and alarmingly high. Many HCWs report not having enough time or opportunities to engage in self-care. Brief, engaging, evidence-based tools have unique potential to alleviate burnout and improve well-being. Three prospective cohort studies tested the efficacy of web-based interventions: Three Good Things (n = 275), Gratitude Letter (n = 123), and the Looking Forward Tool (n = 123). Metrics were emotional exhaustion, depression, subjective happiness, work-life balance, emotional thriving, and emotional recovery. Across all studies, participants reported improvements in all metrics between baseline and post assessments, with two exceptions in study 1 (emotional thriving and happiness at 6 and 12-month post) and study 3 (optimism and emotional thriving at day 7). The Three Good Things, Gratitude Letter, and Looking Forward tools appear promising interventions for the issue of HCW burnout.

Keywords: Positive psychology interventions; Three Good Things; burnout; gratitude; healthcare; hope.

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure statement The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study 1: Three Good Things means and standard errors for emotional exhaustion, thriving, and recovery across assessment points. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05, tp < .10. Paired t-tests reflect changes from baseline.Displayed means at baseline reflect those from the baseline to day 15 analyses.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Study 1: Three Good Things means and standard errors for happiness, depression, and work-life balance across assessment points. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05, tp < .10. Paired t-tests reflect changes from baseline.Displayed means at baseline reflect those from the baseline to day 15 analyses.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Study 2: means and standard errors for emotional exhaustion, subjective happiness, and work-life balance across assessment points. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, Work-life Balance Problems was rescaled for the graph by subtracting 1 and multiplying by 33.33.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Study 3: looking forward means and standard errors for depression symptoms, optimism, thriving, and recovery across assessment points. ** p < .01, * p < .05, tp < .10. Paired t-tests reflect changes from baseline.Displayed means at baseline reflect those from the baseline to day 7 analyses.

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