ViaMente: Feasibility of a Nurse-Led Group Programme for Burnout and Well-Being in Mental Healthcare Professionals

Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental10 enrolled

Overview

This single-arm, before-after study evaluated the feasibility of ViaMente, a nurse-led psychotherapeutic group programme designed to reduce burnout and promote psychological well-being in mental healthcare professionals. Grounded in nursing theory, the programme comprised five weekly group sessions. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment, retention, and acceptability, alongside preliminary changes in burnout and psychological well-being measured before and after the intervention.

This single-arm, before-after feasibility study evaluated ViaMente, a nurse-led psychotherapeutic group programme (five weekly sessions, grounded in nursing theory) aimed at reducing burnout and promoting psychological well-being in mental healthcare professionals. Feasibility was the primary focus, assessed through recruitment, retention, and acceptability. Retention was defined as completing the programme with no more than two absences across the five sessions. Preliminary changes in burnout (CBI-PT) and psychological well-being (PGWB-S) were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Given the feasibility purpose, single-arm non-randomised design, and small sample, the study was not designed to test efficacy but to inform a future, adequately powered study.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Burnout, Professional Psychological Well Being

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (≥18 years). * Health professionals (nurses, health-care assistants, physicians, or others). * Working in a mental health setting. * Availability and commitment to attend the five weekly intervention sessions. Exclusion Criteria: * Age under 18 years. * Not working in a mental health setting. * Unable or unwilling to commit to the intervention sessions. * Refusal to provide informed consent.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Feasibility - Acceptability (post-session acceptability questionnaire, 0-5 Likert)

Acceptability of the programme, rated on a 0-5 Likert scale, where 0 indicates the lowest acceptability and 5 the highest; higher scores indicate greater acceptability.

Time frame: Week 5

Feasibility - Retention

Retention rate, defined as the proportion of enrolled participants who completed the programme without exceeding the permitted number of absences (maximum of two absences across the five sessions). Assessed after the fifth session.

Time frame: Week 5

Secondary Outcomes

Change in burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory - Portuguese version, CBI-PT)

Change in burnout, measured by the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory - Portuguese version (CBI-PT). Score range 0-100; higher scores indicate greater burnout. A mean score ≥50 is conventionally interpreted as indicative of high (clinically relevant) burnout.

Time frame: Baseline and week 5

Change in psychological well-being (PGWB-S)

Change in psychological well-being, measured by the Psychological General Well-Being Index - short version (PGWB-S). Score range 0-30; higher scores indicate better psychological well-being. No established clinical cut-off.