Promoting adult resilience in the workplace: Synthesising mental health and work-life balance approaches

Abstract

Mental health in the workplace is a major concern, with rising rates of depression and stress impacting productivity and well-being. Resilient adults are adaptable and able to manage their working and personal lives, as well as the demands of the workplace and technological change. The pilot for an innovative, prevention program, the Promoting Adult Resilience (PAR) program, was conducted in a resource-sector company over 11 weeks with 21 employees taking part and a comparison group drawn from a parallel study on adult well-being. The sessions synthesised cognitive behavioural and mental health promotion strategies with work-life balance to promote mental health well-being amongst working adults. Participant outcomes and intervention integrity were assessed through the duration of the program. Process evaluation assessed the manualised program, the facilitator, the volunteers as participants and diary notes from the facilitator on each session, and found that intervention integrity was maintained throughout the program. Pre and post testing of the participants of the PAR program showed significantly reduced levels of depression and stress, increased satisfaction with balancing work and personal lives and improved levels of coping self-efficacy, in relation to the comparison group.