Susan Gritzka

Background: Leadership in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is associated with a variety of challenges and stressors, which are reflected in their managers’ commonly experienced high stress levels. In this context, psychological strain can arise, but compared to large companies, SMEs face particular difficulties in implementing mental health promotion intervention. These difficulties partially originate in a profound lack of comprehensive research on the effectiveness and prospects of success of intervention strategies in SMEs. This study aims to close this gap by evaluating a stress management training for managers in SMEs (KMU-GO). Implementing established stress management strategies and making them more accessible within the SME context, the training aims to improve participants’ psychological and physiological well-being. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial with an intervention and a waitlist control group in Germany. The intervention comprised 1.5 days of stress management training and two refresher sessions, focusing on short- and long-term coping strategies and self-reflection. Based on a sample of N = 155 managers, we conducted a multilevel analysis of covariance on psychological measures, namely stress reactivity, depression, and anxiety. Additionally, changes in physiological stress indices (i.e., hair cortisol concentration and salivary alpha-amylase activity) were examined. Results: Regarding the psychological measures, we found significant training effects six months after baseline. Twelve months after baseline, there were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups for either psychological or physiological variables. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present stress management training is effective in reducing psychological strain in SME managers. In order to achieve more sustainable effects, a continuation of the refresher sessions could be considered. Trial registration: Before including the first participant, the KMU-GO trial is registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS): DRKS00023457 (registered on 5 November 2020).

Objective: COVID-19 has changed work conditions and instilled fear. However, research overlooked the contributing factors to fear of COVID-19 and its impact on well-being. We addressed this research gap and focused on the essential workforce of child care. Methods: Three samples of early childhood professionals (ECPs) (N _T1 = 423, N _T2 = 142, N _T3 = 584) were gathered in Germany between June 2020 and May 2021. We tested via path analysis whether (1) fear of COVID-19 relates to well-being, (2) COVID-19–related work stressors relate to fear of COVID-19, and (3) fear of COVID-19 mediates the relationship of work stressors and well-being. Results: Findings of N_T1 and N_T3 lent support, while results of N_T2 differed. Conclusions: This study underlines the importance of adapting the work conditions during pandemics to reduce the fear of infection and thus preserve ECPs’ well-being.

Zusammenfassung: Die COVID-19-Pandemie veränderte den Arbeitsalltag von Arbeitnehmenden weltweit. Insbesondere frühpädagogische Fachkräfte in der Kindertagesbetreuung erlebten aufgrund von Mehrbelastung am Arbeitsplatz ein potentiell erhöhtes Erkrankungsrisiko für die individuelle Gesundheit. Ziel dieser Querschnittsstudie war es, aktuelle Prävalenzen von psychosozialem Arbeitsstress in Form von Gratifikationskrisen (Effort-Reward Imbalance, ERI), Verausgabungsbereitschaft (Overcommitment) sowie somatischen Symptomen und deren Assoziation während der COVID-19-Pandemie zu erheben. Frühpädagogische Fachkräfte aus Nordrhein-Westfalen (N=1009) nahmen zwischen Juni 2020 und Mai 2021 an der Fragebogenstudie teil. Zur Beurteilung des Arbeitsstresses wurde der Effort-Reward Imbalance Fragebogen eingesetzt (16 Items umfassende Version) und zur Einschätzung somatischer Symptome der Gesundheitsfragebogen für Patienten Modul „Somatische Symptomschwere“ (PHQ-15). Eine multiple logistische Regression überprüfte die Assoziation zwischen Arbeitsstress und Ge-sundheit. Bei 72,3% der Befragten wurde eine Gratifikationskrise festgestellt. Insgesamt zeigten 25,0% eine hoch ausgeprägte Verausgabungsbereitschaft (Overcommitment). Die Gesamtprävalenz von somatischen Beschwerden auf einem mittleren bis hohen Niveau lag bei 45,2%. Eine Gratifikationskrise und eine hohe Verausgabungsbereitschaft vergrößerten das Chancenverhältnis einer starken Symptompräsenz um den Faktor 4,12 bzw. 5,20. Diese Studie verdeutlicht die häufigen Gratifikationskrisen, die hohe Verausgabungsbereitschaft und die überdurchschnittlich hohe Prävalenz somatischer Beschwerden bei frühpädagogischen Fachkräften während der COVID-19-Pandemie. Angesichts dieser hohen Prävalenzen und deren Zusammenhänge besteht weiterhin starker Handlungs- und Forschungsbedarf, den arbeitsbezogenen Stress bei dieser Berufsgruppe zu reduzieren sowie die Persistenz von sowie den Umgang mit somatischen Symptomen zu untersuchen, um langfristig Präventionsmaßnahmen zu entwickeln.

Background COVID-19 has changed the work conditions across many sectors and fear of COVID-19 is ever-present. Yet, research has overlooked the contributing factors to fear of COVID-19 and its impact on well-being within an occupational context. This study addressed this gap from an integrative perspective by focusing on the essential workforce of child care, particularly at high risk of infection and characterized by difficult COVID-19 risk management. Methods Across three independent samples, we tested whether (1) fear of COVID-19 relates to subjective well-being, (2) COVID-19-related work stressors (i.e., perceived risk of infection and poor employer support) relate to fear of COVID-19, and whether (3) fear of COVID-19 serves as a mediator between COVID-19-related work stressors and subjective well-being.The study utilized three cross-sectional samples of early childhood professionals (ECPs) (N_T1 = 423, N_T2= 142, N_T3 = 584) gathered in Germany during different pandemic phases between June 2020 and May 2021. Hypotheses were tested using linear regression analysis and by estimating indirect effects. Results Findings of T1 and T3 lent full support for hypotheses. Higher perceived risk of infection and poorer employer support were associated with greater fear of COVID-19 which in turn predicted lower subjective well-being of ECPs. The relationships between COVID-19-related work stressors and subjective well-being were mediated via fear of COVID-19 while controlling for age, gender, and leadership position. Results at T2 differed and reasons are discussed. Conclusions The results underline the importance of adapting the work conditions during pandemics to reduce fear of COVID-19 and in turn preserve employees’ subjective well-being.

The reopening of child-care programs during COVID-19 demanded comprehensive preventive measures. Research to date has overlooked this reopening process as well as early childhood professionals’ (ECPs) implementation efforts and resulting changes in their work practices and well-being. As a result, this study sought insights into (1) the practical implementation of measures, (2) perceptions and evaluations of measures, (3) changes in work characteristics, and (4) its impact on well-being. Qualitative interviews were conducted with German child-care managers (N = 27) between June and August 2020. The semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and content-analyzed using MAXQDA. ECPs, through a combination of high effort and engagement, ensured the feasibility of most preventive measures. This included practices which were perceived to be unreasonable or ones which were stricter than practices required for the public. This exacerbated the critical work characteristics (e.g., high workload, overtime, and multitasking) from pre-pandemic scenarios and led to new work demands (e.g., changes in work content and social interactions). ECPs maintained intensive work demands and consequently suffered from broad strain outcomes (e.g., worry, exhaustion, anger, fear of infection, and reduced psychological sense of community). This study highlights the adverse psychosocial work environment of ECPs despite the necessity of ensuring health and safety at work.

Background: Leaders in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are exposed to increased stress as a result of a range of challenges. Moreover, they rarely have the opportunity to participate in stress management trainings. Therefore, KMU-GO (ger: Kleine und mittlere Unternehmen – Gesundheitsoffensive; en: small and medium-sized enterprises – health campaign) aims at conducting and evaluating such a stress management training. The focus of evaluation does not only lie on the effects on leaders participating but also on their employees. Methods: The study is planned as a 2 × 3 mixed design with two groups (intervention and waiting control group) as a between factor and point in time (at baseline, 6 and 12 months later) as a within factor. We aim at collecting data from N = 200 leaders. Based on the results of a preceding assessment, an already successfully implemented stress management training was adapted to SME needs and now serves as the framework of this intervention. The stress management training comprises one and a half days and is followed by two booster sessions (each 180 min) about 3 and 6 months after the training. The main focus of this intervention lies on specifying leaders stress reactivity while at the same time investigating its effects on employees’ mental health. Further dependent variables are leaders´ depression and anxiety scores, effort-reward imbalance, sick days and psychophysiological measures of heart rate variability, hair cortisol, and salivary alpha-amylase. Cost-effectiveness analyses will be conducted from a societal and employers’ point of view. Discussion: Stress management is a highly relevant issue for leaders in SMEs. By providing an adequate occupational stress management training, we expect to improve leaders´ and also employees` mental health, thereby preventing economic losses for SMEs and the national economy. However, collecting data from employees about the success of a stress management training of their leader is a highly sensitive topic. It requires a carefully planned proceeding ensuring for example a high degree of transparency, anonymity, and providing team incentives. Trial registration: The KMU-GO trial is registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS): DRKS00023457 (05.11.2020)