Leadership for Recovery: Effects of an Intervention Programme for First-line Healthcare Managers on Employees' Recovery

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate a group-based intervention programme called "Leadership for Recovery" designed for first-line healthcare managers in Swedish hospital settings. The study focuses on whether strengthening managers' own recovery strategies and their leadership focused on promoting employee recovery can improve the recovery, including sleep, health, cognition, work-life balance, and job retention among healthcare employees. The trial is a cluster randomized controlled study comparing employees whose managers participate in the programme to those whose managers do not. The intervention consists of 6 group sessions spread over approximately 6 months, combining educational and reflective activities to support managers' recovery and enhance their ability to promote recovery among their employees. Managers are randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which receives the programme, or a control group that does not participate during the study period but may join after follow-up. Employees of both groups are invited to participate and their recovery and health outcomes will be compared. Participants will complete surveys before the intervention begins, shortly after the managers complete five sessions, and again one year after baseline. A voluntary subset will also keep diaries and wear actigraphy wristbands to objectively measure sleep for 7-day periods at baseline and follow-up. Researchers will assess primary outcomes related to recovery and sleep, and secondary outcomes such as general health, burnout, cognition, work performance, and work-life interference. Data analysis will follow intention-to-treat principles and include safety monitoring through ongoing questionnaires.

Leadership for Recovery: Evaluation of an Intervention Programme for First-line Healthcare Managers