# Participant Perceptions of a University Continuing Education Intervention Addressing Job Burnout and Self-Care Strategies

## TL;DR

This study shows how a training program helped workers from construction and health sectors recognize and manage job burnout through self-care strategies.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel continuing education program targeting underrepresented sectors with evidence-based burnout and self-care training.

## Key findings

- Participants learned new approaches to promote workplace well-being, including mindfulness and mental health days.
- The training expanded understanding of burnout signs and improved self-care behaviors among mid- to senior-level professionals.
- Results suggest potential for future education initiatives to enhance productivity and mental health in the workforce.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Burnout has become a prominent psychosocial occupational hazard among today’s workforce that demands urgent attention. Unmanaged job burnout can contribute to heightened personal and task-related conflicts among colleagues, while also increasing the risk of poor mental health outcomes and suicidal ideation for some workers.Providing educational resources and well-being interventions that address resilience and strategies for self-care may positively impact employees by improving work engagement and quality of life while reducing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Burnout has become a prominent psychosocial occupational hazard among today’s workforce that demands urgent attention. Unmanaged job burnout can contribute to heightened personal and task-related conflicts among colleagues, while also increasing the risk of poor mental health outcomes and suicidal ideation for some workers.

Providing educational resources and well-being interventions that address resilience and strategies for self-care may positively impact employees by improving work engagement and quality of life while reducing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
The current study adds to the literature by providing a novel account of a training program that equipped employees from underrepresented industry sectors, i.e., the construction and occupational health and safety sectors, with skills from the evidence base, including learning the signs of job burnout and mental health concerns, as well as interventions to support well-being and self-care while at work.Results of the training showed that participants learned new approaches to promote physical, emotional, and psychological well-being in the workplace to improve their self-care behaviors.

The current study adds to the literature by providing a novel account of a training program that equipped employees from underrepresented industry sectors, i.e., the construction and occupational health and safety sectors, with skills from the evidence base, including learning the signs of job burnout and mental health concerns, as well as interventions to support well-being and self-care while at work.

Results of the training showed that participants learned new approaches to promote physical, emotional, and psychological well-being in the workplace to improve their self-care behaviors.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Continuing professional education initiatives aimed at managing job-related stress can assist employees with recognizing and managing burnout and enhance both productivity and overall well-being.Results of the needs assessment presented in the current study hold promise for guiding the design and implementation of future continuing professional education initiatives.

Continuing professional education initiatives aimed at managing job-related stress can assist employees with recognizing and managing burnout and enhance both productivity and overall well-being.

Results of the needs assessment presented in the current study hold promise for guiding the design and implementation of future continuing professional education initiatives.

Objective: The current study assessed outcomes of a continuing professional education program aimed at managing job-related stress to assist employees with recognizing and managing burnout and enhancing both productivity and overall well-being. Study Design: This study outlines the implementation of a needs assessment survey and the development of a non-credit training course for working professionals that addressed risks of burnout, suicidality, and self-care strategies to support mental health in the workplace. Methods: The sample for the current study consisted of 398 predominantly mid- to senior-level professionals. Participants were divided into two cohorts. The first cohort completed a structured needs assessment survey between June 2023 and July 2023 and provided ideas for curriculum development. The second cohort participated in synchronous, instructor-led virtual training sessions and completed pre- and post-training questionnaires between January 2024 and June 2024. A mixed-method content analysis was conducted to identify recurring themes and their frequency in course questionnaires. Results: Findings suggest that the training successfully expanded participants’ understanding of signs of burnout and of new approaches to improve well-being in the workplace including forming friendships, engaging in mindfulness activities, and taking time off for a mental health day. Conclusions: Future research should explore the long-term impacts of such interventions and compare delivery methods, including virtual and in-person formats, to determine the most effective approaches for promoting mental well-being at work.