Can an organizationally anchored, multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace? A pre-post study assessing effectiveness and implementation
Abstract Background Organizational multilevel interventions have been called for as a means to improve psychosocial working conditions, reduce stress, and enhance wellbeing in organizations. However, these types of interventions are highly complex to implement and evaluate, and they remain scarce in...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20801-5 |
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| author | Vita Ligaya Dalgaard Tanja Kirkegaard Christian Dyrlund Wåhlin-Jacobsen Birgit Aust Sofie Jaspers Thomas Faurholt Jønsson Trine Nøhr Winding |
| author_facet | Vita Ligaya Dalgaard Tanja Kirkegaard Christian Dyrlund Wåhlin-Jacobsen Birgit Aust Sofie Jaspers Thomas Faurholt Jønsson Trine Nøhr Winding |
| author_sort | Vita Ligaya Dalgaard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Organizational multilevel interventions have been called for as a means to improve psychosocial working conditions, reduce stress, and enhance wellbeing in organizations. However, these types of interventions are highly complex to implement and evaluate, and they remain scarce in the literature. In this study, we present the evaluation of a multilevel intervention conducted in a municipality setting. Methods The intervention was based on a train-the-trainer principle and participatory risk assessment workshops on all organizational levels. Action plans were subsequently developed at the team level, and identified risks, which could not be addressed at the team level, were reported to the management for further action planning or escalation to the next management level. Using a pre-post study design, we evaluated changes in proximal outcomes related to the psychosocial working environment, and distal outcomes related to stress and job satisfaction. Changes over time in outcome measures were analyzed using linear mixed models. A quantitative process evaluation was used to examine the degree of implementation of the intervention. Results Small improvements over time were observed with regard to quantitative demands, overall perception of the psychosocial work environment, job satisfaction, and the psychosocial safety climate. We also observed an increase in empowering leadership. Positive tendencies were also found for predicatability at work, possibilities for solving work tasks and support from closest manager. The effect sizes were small in all cases. No improvements in perceived stress or stress symptoms were found. The study revealed several practical and methodological challenges in conducting and implementing this type of multilevel intervention in a municipal setting. Conclusions Overall, our study suggests that the intervention was associated with small positive changes in certain aspects of the working environment but no improvements were observed in stress outcomes. The study highlights a number of challenges in relation to implementing this type of multilevel intervention in a municipal setting. Trial Registration The study was prospectively registered at ISRCTN84940247 on April 23, 2019. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-9b51e736203c487cb6fbecd6bcbb097d2025-02-02T12:45:53ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-01-0125112110.1186/s12889-024-20801-5Can an organizationally anchored, multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace? A pre-post study assessing effectiveness and implementationVita Ligaya Dalgaard0Tanja Kirkegaard1Christian Dyrlund Wåhlin-Jacobsen2Birgit Aust3Sofie Jaspers4Thomas Faurholt Jønsson5Trine Nøhr Winding6Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus UniversityDepartment of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus UniversityDepartment of Organization, Copenhagen Business SchoolThe National Research Centre for the Working EnvironmentThe National Research Centre for the Working EnvironmentDepartment of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus UniversityDepartment of Occupational Medicine, University Research Clinic, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Goedstrup HospitalAbstract Background Organizational multilevel interventions have been called for as a means to improve psychosocial working conditions, reduce stress, and enhance wellbeing in organizations. However, these types of interventions are highly complex to implement and evaluate, and they remain scarce in the literature. In this study, we present the evaluation of a multilevel intervention conducted in a municipality setting. Methods The intervention was based on a train-the-trainer principle and participatory risk assessment workshops on all organizational levels. Action plans were subsequently developed at the team level, and identified risks, which could not be addressed at the team level, were reported to the management for further action planning or escalation to the next management level. Using a pre-post study design, we evaluated changes in proximal outcomes related to the psychosocial working environment, and distal outcomes related to stress and job satisfaction. Changes over time in outcome measures were analyzed using linear mixed models. A quantitative process evaluation was used to examine the degree of implementation of the intervention. Results Small improvements over time were observed with regard to quantitative demands, overall perception of the psychosocial work environment, job satisfaction, and the psychosocial safety climate. We also observed an increase in empowering leadership. Positive tendencies were also found for predicatability at work, possibilities for solving work tasks and support from closest manager. The effect sizes were small in all cases. No improvements in perceived stress or stress symptoms were found. The study revealed several practical and methodological challenges in conducting and implementing this type of multilevel intervention in a municipal setting. Conclusions Overall, our study suggests that the intervention was associated with small positive changes in certain aspects of the working environment but no improvements were observed in stress outcomes. The study highlights a number of challenges in relation to implementing this type of multilevel intervention in a municipal setting. Trial Registration The study was prospectively registered at ISRCTN84940247 on April 23, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20801-5Perceived stressPsychosocial work environmentOrganizationalMultilevel interventionOrganizational interventionJob satisfaction |
| spellingShingle | Vita Ligaya Dalgaard Tanja Kirkegaard Christian Dyrlund Wåhlin-Jacobsen Birgit Aust Sofie Jaspers Thomas Faurholt Jønsson Trine Nøhr Winding Can an organizationally anchored, multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace? A pre-post study assessing effectiveness and implementation BMC Public Health Perceived stress Psychosocial work environment Organizational Multilevel intervention Organizational intervention Job satisfaction |
| title | Can an organizationally anchored, multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace? A pre-post study assessing effectiveness and implementation |
| title_full | Can an organizationally anchored, multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace? A pre-post study assessing effectiveness and implementation |
| title_fullStr | Can an organizationally anchored, multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace? A pre-post study assessing effectiveness and implementation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can an organizationally anchored, multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace? A pre-post study assessing effectiveness and implementation |
| title_short | Can an organizationally anchored, multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace? A pre-post study assessing effectiveness and implementation |
| title_sort | can an organizationally anchored multilevel intervention improve perceived stress and psychosocial factors in the workplace a pre post study assessing effectiveness and implementation |
| topic | Perceived stress Psychosocial work environment Organizational Multilevel intervention Organizational intervention Job satisfaction |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20801-5 |
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