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Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols

Date Submitted: Sep 24, 2025
Date Accepted: May 6, 2026

The final, peer-reviewed published version of this preprint can be found here:

Development of a Web-Based Intervention Course to Promote Academic Staff Well-Being: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study Design

Asikainen H, Katajavuori N

Development of a Web-Based Intervention Course to Promote Academic Staff Well-Being: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study Design

JMIR Res Protoc 2026;15:e84729

DOI: 10.2196/84729

PMID: 42234911

Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.

Development of a Web-Based Intervention Course to Promote staff wellbeing: Protocol for an Experimental Study Design

  • Henna Asikainen; 
  • Nina Katajavuori

ABSTRACT

Background:

Burnout and poor wellbeing are serious problems in workforce all over the world. Especially in academia, high pressure is evident. Psychological flexibility has been found to be a promising aspect to enhance workers wellbeing and work satisfaction.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was first to develop and describe our ACT-based course which was developed to enhance academic workers wellbeing and working life skills and secondly, to report the mixed-method study design to explore the effects of the course.

Methods:

none

Results:

The course was opened to the staff of University of Helsinki in fall 2023 as a voluntary course. The course has been advertised in fall 2023 and spring 2024 through different university channels. Since then, a total of 650 participants have enrolled the course and of those, 86 participants have finished the course and given a consent to use their data in research. For many, the course is still ongoing. The effect of this course will be measured with mixed-method data, including questionnaire data before, during and after the course. In addition, reflective journals will be analysed for the effects of the course and interviews will be conducted to willing participants. This research follows the ethical guidelines drawn up by the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity.

Conclusions:

We argue that an online course promoting both psychological flexibility skills as well as participants working life skills is a good way to support employer wellbeing. Clinical Trial: -


 Citation

Please cite as:

Asikainen H, Katajavuori N

Development of a Web-Based Intervention Course to Promote Academic Staff Well-Being: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study Design

JMIR Res Protoc 2026;15:e84729

DOI: 10.2196/84729

PMID: 42234911

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