Evaluating 'livsdesigneren': An occupational therapy intervention for stress reduction.

Abstract

Background: Of the European workforce, 28% are affected by stress, posing severe health and economic challenges. Despite existing interventions, the multidimensional nature of stress remains inadequately addressed, thus the Livsdesigner-program (LD) was developed as a method for stress reduction and enhanced well-being through planning, prioritizing, and adjusting daily occupations.

Aims: (a) to assess if participants perceived stress reduction and enhanced well-being, and (b) to explore the participants' experiences with the program.

Methods: Two groups of participants, Working group (WG) and Non-Working group (NWG), participated in a mixed method with a convergent parallel design. Aim a) was measured using Cohen's 10-item Perceived Stress Scale and World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index. Aim b) was explored with qualitative interviews including Content Validity Index questionnaire.

Results: Based on the measurements' calculations, clinical significance were observed in both groups: in the WG, seven out of nine participants achieved stress reductions, and seven out of nine demonstrated increased well-being; in the NWG, two out of seven participants achieved stress reduction, while five out of seven demonstrated increased well-being. The participants valued the LD, highlighting the focus on occupational planning.

Conclusions: The LD showed promising results for the WG, while the NWG demonstrated greater variability over time.