Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: May 25, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: May 26, 2025 - Jul 21, 2025
Date Accepted: Sep 16, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Improving Work-Related Challenges in Psychiatric-Psychosomatic Clinics: A Study Protocol for an internet-based needs assessment and co-design of a training
ABSTRACT
Background:
Medical, psychiatric-psychosomatic facilities are confronted with a variety of daily challenges that affect working conditions, the mental health of employees and the quality of patient care. This project focuses on the work-related challenges faced by healthcare professionals in psychiatric-psychosomatic clinics in Germany.
Objective:
Therefore, the goal of the current research is to investigate the interactions between individuals and their social environment, identify psychological and organizational challenges and job demands to use these findings to inform the development of a participatory, evidence-based intervention.
Methods:
This two-phase research uses the job demands-resources model as backdrop. Study phase one (needs assessment) employs a cross-sectional online survey with healthcare professionals in German psychiatric-psychosomatic clinics to assess job demands, resources, and outcomes in a target sample of 600 participants (power analysis). Study phase two (co-design of a training) involves co-creatively designing an intervention based on survey findings through participatory workshops with at least 20 participants. Analyses include regression and moderation tests (SPSS), and qualitative data analysis to co-design training.
Results:
Results from phase 1 are expected later in 2025, and from Phase two in 2026.
Conclusions:
This current research is the first to identify the most important professional requirements and resources that are relevant for mental health professionals in psychiatric-psychosomatic clinics. It is expected that burnout, engagement, and psychological safety will likely emerge as central mediating and moderating variables. As the findings of phase one serve as a basis for the development of an intervention this research seeks to improve the well-being of healthcare professionals in psychiatric-psychosomatic institutions sustainably. Clinical Trial: Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06867601; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06867601
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.