Supportive-Leadership Training to Improve Social Connection: A Cluster-Randomized Trial Demonstrating Efficacy in a High-Risk Occupational Context

Details

• Personal Author:
  Allen S ; Arpin S ; Bodner T ; Britt T ; Brockwood K ; Dimoff J ; Dretsch M ; Hammer L ; Lee J ; Mahoney L ; McCabe S ; Mohr C
• Description:
  The high, and still rising, rate of loneliness is a threat to public health (Office of the Surgeon General, 2023), with negative mental and physical health consequences (e.g., Holt-Lunstad, 2021). Given that loneliness is a risk factor for poor mental health, efforts to address loneliness are urgently needed. Workplaces can facilitate an employee's social connection through supervisor support training, which can help mitigate loneliness. Among occupational groups, the military is at higher risk for mental health disorders, suicide, and loneliness (Fikretoglu et al., 2022; Naifeh et al., 2019). This study evaluated the efficacy of an evidence-based supportive-leadership training intervention targeting active-duty U.S. Army platoon leaders and targeting both proactive support behaviors that help bolster employee social connection and responsive support behaviors, including destigmatizing mental health. Ninety-nine platoon leaders (69.7% of eligible leaders) completed the 90-min training that consisted of both in-person and computer-based components. Using a cluster-randomized controlled trial design, intervention effects were tested using an intent-to-treat approach and revealed a significant effect, whereby loneliness of service members whose leaders were randomized to the intervention group (N = 118) was significantly reduced compared to loneliness reports for service members in the control group (N = 158). Additionally, service members with higher baseline loneliness were more strongly and positively impacted by the supervisor training, reporting higher levels of supportive behaviors from their leaders at 3 months postbaseline. In sum, these results suggest how workplaces, especially those that are considered high-risk occupations, and their leaders play a critical role in a national strategy to address Americans' well-being. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Suicide
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Leadership Intervention Effectiveness Loneliness Mental Health Military Military Personnel Social Connection Supervisory Personnel Training Well-being
• ISSN:
  1076-8998
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; Oregon ; San Francisco Region [OSHA] ; South Carolina ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  299-316
• Volume:
  29
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070128
• Citation:
  J Occup Health Psychol 2024 Oct; 29(5):299-316
• Contact Point Address:
  Cynthia Mohr, Department of Psychology, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207, United States
• Email:
  cdmohr@pdx.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Portland State University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational Health Psychology
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8660c249ee57eeea2525a7f02a26a4b65e7d2d27d4e2353e149645cbce63f958b425bd61b442328c1cfc54969be1f265d18f4c48d7f5dce064bf4089aebd670f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208412/cdc_208412_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 624.08 KB ]