An online intervention to increase psychological capital and wellbeing in ageing employees during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Findings from a number of studies indicate the importance of employees' psychological resources in coping with stress and maintaining wellbeing. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of an online psychological capital intervention in terms of changes in psychological capital and wellbeing indicators in a group of ageing workers. The intervention consisted of online group workshops conducted among employees aged 50 years and older. Two measurements were taken by 41 participants from the experimental group and 12 participants from the control group at pre-test and at follow-up. Analysis of the results of the study showed that participation in the intervention increased the level of psychological capital, affective balance, satisfaction with life, and decreased depressive symptoms in the experimental group. Although the level of perceived stress was also found to be lower in the second measurement and the level of meaning of work increased, this effect applied to both the experimental and control groups. The level of job satisfaction did not change significantly. No moderating effects were found. The analyses indicate that an intervention based on the development of the four components of psychological capital is effective both in terms of strengthening psychological capital itself and in improving certain indicators of participants' wellbeing. A limitation of the study was the high dropout rate at the final measurement stage, the small sample size, and the uneven allocation to the experimental and control conditions. Hence, the results should be interpreted with caution, and the intervention should be tested in the future with larger groups.