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Stanford study confirms the key
component of Totally Alive Program (TAP) This study was presented at American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 11/18/03. It examined one of the key components that make up the TAP Program. The results are impressive. A randomized controlled trial of a spiritual-wisdom-based program to enhance care giving self-efficacy and reduce stress and burnout Doug Oman, PhD, School Public Health, University of California, Berkeley CA John Hedberg, MD, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO Carl E. Thoresen, PhD, Education, Psychology, Psychiatry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA Abstract BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects on care giving self-efficacy, stress and burnout of an eight week, 2 hour per week training for health professionals in spiritual-wisdom-based self-management tools. Drawing extensively on spiritual wisdom traditions, the program may be practiced by adherents to any major religious faith, as well as those outside of all traditions. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants (N=61) were recruited through hospitals in Colorado, and included physicians, nurses, chaplains and other health professionals actively involved in patient care. After a pretest, participants were randomly allocated to an intervention condition (n=30) and a wait-list comparison group (n=31). The training program was based on a previously researched adaptation for health professionals of a comprehensive nonsectarian program from Easwaran (1991/1978). Participants were offered continuing professional education credits through the host hospital education department. Pretest, posttest, and 8-week follow-up data were gathered on spirituality, care giving self-efficacy, perceived stress, and burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment). Life satisfaction, job satisfaction, altruistic behavior, empathy, compassion, forgiveness of self and of other and mercy were also assessed. RESULTS: Beneficial treatment effects trends were observed at posttest for all measures except depersonalization, and were statistically significant for increased care giving self-efficacy (p<0.05) and reduced stress (p<0.05). Beneficial effects became even stronger and more statistically significant at follow-up for increased care giving self-efficacy (p<0.01), reduced stress (p<0.001), reduced emotional exhaustion (p<0.05), and increased personal accomplishment (p<0.05). Participants also reported increases at posttest and follow-up in self-reported spirituality (p<0.05). In addition significant changes were also observed at post-treatment and follow-up for intervention group in compassion and forgiveness. At follow-up, changes for compassion, life and job satisfaction and mercy also emerged. CONCLUSION: Evidence suggests this program enhances care giving self-efficacy, reduces stress and burnout, and increases positive attitudes and actions such as satisfaction and compassion for others. Such a program may merit inclusion in continuing education curricula for healthcare professionals.
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