Tjasink Megan, Carr Catherine Elizabeth, Bassett Paul, Soosaipillai Gehan, Ougrin Dennis, Priebe Stefan
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Services Development Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
BMJ Public Health. 2025 Aug 3;3(2):e002251. doi: 10.1136/bmjph-2024-002251. eCollection 2025.
Burnout and mental distress are prevalent among healthcare professionals (HCPs), particularly in acute hospital settings. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured group art therapy intervention in reducing burnout and associated mental distress in HCPs.
We conducted a multicentre, unblinded, randomised, parallel assignment, waitlist-controlled trial in four National Health Service secondary care hospitals in London, UK, between 4 May 2023 and 5 March 2024. A total of 129 HCPs with moderate-to-severe risk of burnout or levels of perceived stress were randomly assigned to either group art therapy (6 weekly 90-min sessions) or a waitlist control.The primary outcome was change in emotional exhaustion as a core dimension of burnout, measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey. Secondary outcomes were the other two burnout dimensions: depersonalisation and personal accomplishment, as well as perceived stress, measured on the perceived stress scale, anxiety, assessed on the generalised anxiety disorder seven-item scale, and depression, measured on the eight-item patient health questionnaire depression scale. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks postintervention/control period. Intervention group outcomes were also assessed at 3-month follow-up.
Primary outcome data were obtained from 115 (89%) of 129 participants, who represented a range of clinical specialties and professions. Emotional exhaustion scores were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group at 6 weeks (adjusted mean difference: 4.8; 95% CI 2.4 to 7.3; p<0.001). Significantly more favourable scores were also found in depersonalisation, perceived stress, anxiety and depression in the intervention group. Gains were sustained at 3-month follow-up.
Six weekly sessions of group art therapy can significantly reduce burnout risk and mental distress in HCPs from different professional backgrounds in acute hospital settings. Wider implementation of the intervention should be considered.
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05728086.
职业倦怠和精神困扰在医护人员中普遍存在，尤其是在急症医院环境中。本研究评估了结构化团体艺术治疗干预措施在减轻医护人员职业倦怠及相关精神困扰方面的效果。
2023年5月4日至2024年3月5日期间，我们在英国伦敦的四家国民保健服务二级医疗机构进行了一项多中心、非盲、随机、平行分组、等待列表对照试验。共有129名有中度至重度职业倦怠风险或感知压力水平的医护人员被随机分配到团体艺术治疗组（每周6次，每次90分钟）或等待列表对照组。主要结局是使用马氏职业倦怠量表-人类服务调查测量的作为职业倦怠核心维度的情感耗竭的变化。次要结局是职业倦怠的另外两个维度：去个性化和个人成就感，以及使用感知压力量表测量的感知压力、使用广泛性焦虑障碍七项量表评估的焦虑和使用八项患者健康问卷抑郁量表测量的抑郁。在基线以及干预/对照期结束6周后评估结局。干预组的结局也在3个月随访时进行评估。
129名参与者中有115名（89%）提供了主要结局数据，这些参与者代表了一系列临床专科和职业。在6周时，干预组的情感耗竭得分显著低于对照组（调整后平均差：4.8；95%CI 2.4至7.3；p<0.001）。干预组在去个性化、感知压力、焦虑和抑郁方面也有显著更有利的得分。在3个月随访时，改善情况得以维持。
每周6次的团体艺术治疗可以显著降低急症医院环境中不同专业背景的医护人员的职业倦怠风险和精神困扰。应考虑更广泛地实施该干预措施。
ClinicalTrials.gov标识符：NCT05728086
