Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health Study
Background. As distress in society increases, including work environments, individual capacities to compete with stress have to be strengthened. Objective. We examined the impact of a web-based happiness training on psychological and physiological parameters, by self-report and objective means, in a...
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doaj-83333f4c20aa4d5e833d86ea666fb3102020-11-24T22:54:13ZengHindawi LimitedEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine1741-427X1741-42882013-01-01201310.1155/2013/676953676953Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health StudyT. Feicht0M. Wittmann1G. Jose2A. Mock3E. von Hirschhausen4T. Esch5Division of Integrative Health Promotion, Faculty of Social Work and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg, GermanyInstitute for Frontier Areas in Psychology and Mental Health, Wilhelmstr. 3a, 79098 Freiburg, GermanyDivision of Social Work, Faculty of Social Work and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg, GermanyFoundation Humor Hilft Heilen, Dolivostraße 9, 64293 Darmstadt, GermanyFoundation Humor Hilft Heilen, Dolivostraße 9, 64293 Darmstadt, GermanyDivision of Integrative Health Promotion, Faculty of Social Work and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Streib-Str. 2, 96450 Coburg, GermanyBackground. As distress in society increases, including work environments, individual capacities to compete with stress have to be strengthened. Objective. We examined the impact of a web-based happiness training on psychological and physiological parameters, by self-report and objective means, in an occupational health setting. Methods. Randomized controlled trial with 147 employees. Participants were divided into intervention (happiness training) and control groups (waiting list). The intervention consisted of a seven-week online training. Questionnaires were administered before, after, and four weeks after training. The following scales were included: VAS (happiness and satisfaction), WHO-5 Well-being Index, Stress Warning Signals, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Recovery Experience Questionnaire, and Flourishing Scale. Subgroup samples for saliva cortisol and alpha-amylase determinations were taken, indicating stress, and Attention Network Testing for effects on attention regulation. Results. Happiness (P=0.000; d=0.93), satisfaction (P=0.000; d=1.17), and quality of life (P=0.000; d=1.06) improved; perceived stress was reduced (P=0.003; d=0.64); mindfulness (P=0.006; d=0.62), flourishing (P=0.002; d=0.63), and recovery experience (P=0.030; d=0.42) also increased significantly. No significant differences in the Attention Network Tests and saliva results occurred (intergroup), except for one saliva value. Conclusions. The web-based training can be a useful tool for stabilizing health/psychological well-being and work/life balance.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/676953 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
T. Feicht M. Wittmann G. Jose A. Mock E. von Hirschhausen T. Esch |
spellingShingle |
T. Feicht M. Wittmann G. Jose A. Mock E. von Hirschhausen T. Esch Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health Study Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
author_facet |
T. Feicht M. Wittmann G. Jose A. Mock E. von Hirschhausen T. Esch |
author_sort |
T. Feicht |
title |
Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health Study |
title_short |
Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health Study |
title_full |
Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health Study |
title_fullStr |
Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health Study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evaluation of a Seven-Week Web-Based Happiness Training to Improve Psychological Well-Being, Reduce Stress, and Enhance Mindfulness and Flourishing: A Randomized Controlled Occupational Health Study |
title_sort |
evaluation of a seven-week web-based happiness training to improve psychological well-being, reduce stress, and enhance mindfulness and flourishing: a randomized controlled occupational health study |
publisher |
Hindawi Limited |
series |
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
issn |
1741-427X 1741-4288 |
publishDate |
2013-01-01 |
description |
Background. As distress in society increases, including work environments, individual capacities to compete with stress have to be strengthened. Objective. We examined the impact of a web-based happiness training on psychological and physiological parameters, by self-report and objective means, in an occupational health setting. Methods. Randomized controlled trial with 147 employees. Participants were divided into intervention (happiness training) and control groups (waiting list). The intervention consisted of a seven-week online training. Questionnaires were administered before, after, and four weeks after training. The following scales were included: VAS (happiness and satisfaction), WHO-5 Well-being Index, Stress Warning Signals, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Recovery Experience Questionnaire, and Flourishing Scale. Subgroup samples for saliva cortisol and alpha-amylase determinations were taken, indicating stress, and Attention Network Testing for effects on attention regulation. Results. Happiness (P=0.000; d=0.93), satisfaction (P=0.000; d=1.17), and quality of life (P=0.000; d=1.06) improved; perceived stress was reduced (P=0.003; d=0.64); mindfulness (P=0.006; d=0.62), flourishing (P=0.002; d=0.63), and recovery experience (P=0.030; d=0.42) also increased significantly. No significant differences in the Attention Network Tests and saliva results occurred (intergroup), except for one saliva value. Conclusions. The web-based training can be a useful tool for stabilizing health/psychological well-being and work/life balance. |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/676953 |
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