Clinical trial NCT03722368: Health and Wellness in Healthcare Providers Post-disaster
Official title: An Evaluation of a Tiered Approach to Increase Well-Being in Healthcare and Social Service Providers in a Post-Disaster Context
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Intervention 1: Resilience and Coping for Healthcare Group
Intervention 2: Resilience and Coping for Healthcare Plus Additional Services
Waitlist Control Group
Lead sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Americares
name: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans
name: Colorado State University
First posted: 2018-10-26
Enrollment: 1100
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The purpose of this evaluation is to understand the impact of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPS) programming that AmeriCares (a non-profit disaster response organization) is currently providing to healthcare and social service providers in Southeast Texas and Puerto Rico. The MHPS services are designed to provide skills to reduce stress, improve coping and reduce symptoms of burnout (compassion fatigue).

Detailed description: Health care and social service providers from disaster-affected communities are at heightened risk for emotional distress symptoms immediately after the event and over the longer-term recovery period. They provide care to others both physically and emotionally, while at the same time are often in the process of recovery and rebuilding their own lives. Health care providers, particularly those who work in safety net health centers, often serve high-need communities where incomes are lower, health issues are elevated, and health care is scarce.

Given the high risk for emotional distress symptoms for healthcare workers after a disaster, it is critical to offer services to help ease the stress during the hurricane recovery. This evaluation will examine the impact of Americares mental health and psychosocial (MHPS) programming on care providers in the short- and longterm recovery. The purpose of this evaluation is to understand the impact of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPS) programming that AmeriCares (a non-profit disaster response organization) is currently providing to healthcare and social service providers in Southeast Texas and Puerto Rico. The MHPS services are designed to provide skills to reduce stress, improve coping and reduce symptoms of burnout (compassion fatigue).

The study included naturalistic groups that will receive services from Americares based on the agencies needs.

They will include:

1. A waitlisted control group who will receive services within 3-months after the study begins
2. A group who will receive one specific workshop, known as RCHC (Resilience and Coping for the Healthcare Community)
3. A group who will receive RCHC plus additional services (RCHC+)

The 3-hour RCHC intervention draws from existing literature and theory on effective psychosocial interventions and integrates the following components:

* An open interactive learning environment
* A safe environment for open communication
* Education and strategies to support highly stressed and/or traumatized patients.
* Psycho-education about stress and coping
* Planning for coping strategies
* Identification and referral to mental health resources The additional services will include wellness groups and psychoeducational training. The wellness groups include a variety of topics, designed to promote healthy living and empowerment. Each one-hour group will be facilitated by Americares staff and tailored to particular needs of the group. Topics may include but not limited to: Grief and loss, Stress management, Workplace wellness, Navigating support systems. The psychoeducational trainings provide healthcare workers with educational resources to support their patients in the aftermath of Harvey and recognize and respond to stress reactions. Training topics include: Psychological First Aid for Adults, Psychological First Aid for Children, The Brain, the Body and Trauma, Coping with Difficult Workplace Situations.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion criteria:

Healthcare workers will be eligible for the study if they are:

1. over 18 years of age at the time of admission into the study;
2. speak and read English or Spanish;
3. have been identified as having experienced Hurricane Harvey or Maria or providing care to people living in areas affected by the storms;
4. are employed by a participating Community Health Center or partnering agency;
5. participate in AmeriCares MHPS programs.

Exclusion criteria: Healthcare workers will be excluded if they:

1. do not meet the inclusion criteria, or
2. do not give consent to participate in the study.

Primary outcomes:
measure: ProQol--Assessing change over time
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Social Provisions Scale--Assessing change over time
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks
measure: Brief Resilience Scale--Assessing change over time
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks
measure: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (10)--Assessing change over time
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks
measure: Impact of Events Scale-Revised--Assessing change over time
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks
measure: Brief Cope--Assessing change over time
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Houston
country: United States
facility: Americares
state: Texas
city: San Juan
country: Puerto Rico
facility: Americares Puerto Rico
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago
name: Tara Powell, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: