Positive mental health effects of the Coping With Strain (CWS) course on employees: a four-year longitudinal randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Abstract The Coping With Strain (CWS) course is a modified version of the Coping With Depression (CWD) course. CWD has been shown to reduce depression in several target groups. However, no other study has tested a modified CWD course delivered at the workplace to promote mental health. As mental health problems among employees remain a neglected area in many countries, and initiatives at the workplace often lack documentation of effects, we tested the effects of CWS on self-esteem, self-efficacy and vitality. After advertisement at workplaces, 119 employees were randomized into Intervention Group 1 (IG1), which immediately participated in CWS, or Intervention Group 2 (IG2), which functioned as a control group for six months until its participation in CWS. The follow-up period lasted for four years in both IG1 and IG2. Linear mixed models were fitted to the data. Self-efficacy, self-esteem and vitality increased significantly during the course and showed further significantly elevated levels at the follow-ups. CWS delivered at the workplace has short-term effects and the long-term effects may be maintained over a period of four years.