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Published in: Journal of Public Health 12/2022

Open Access 23-11-2021 | Original Article

Effectiveness of health-oriented leadership interventions for improving health and wellbeing of employees: a systematic review

Authors: Indra Dannheim, Helena Ludwig-Walz, Anette E. Buyken, Valerie Grimm, Anja Kroke

Published in: Journal of Public Health | Issue 12/2022

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Abstract

Aim

To identify and summarize the evidence for the effect of health-oriented leadership interventions on health and well-being outcomes at the employee level following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement (Moher et al. 2009).

Subject and Methods

A systematic search of relevant studies was conducted in multiple databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cluster-randomized controlled trials (cRCTs) and controlled before–after studies (CBAs) were included based on the following criteria: interventions that addressed supervisors, to raise awareness for the importance of health issues, teach mindfulness practices for conscious awareness, reduce stress and promote resources at the level of individual behavior, and evaluated the effect on at least one outcome of psychomental stress, absenteeism and well-being on the employee level.

Results

Of 6126 publications retrieved, ten studies were identified for analysis. Significant effects of leadership training were reported on exhaustion tendency, self-reported sickness absence, work-related sickness absence and job satisfaction in studies comparing health-oriented training programs to no intervention. Studies comparing health-oriented leadership training to other training did not report significant effects. Risk of bias was judged to be high in seven studies and unclear in three studies.

Conclusion

Evidence for the effectiveness of health-oriented leadership interventions on employees’ stress, absenteeism or well-being is judged to be low, clearly indicating the need for more and higher-quality research.
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Metadata
Title
Effectiveness of health-oriented leadership interventions for improving health and wellbeing of employees: a systematic review
Authors
Indra Dannheim
Helena Ludwig-Walz
Anette E. Buyken
Valerie Grimm
Anja Kroke
Publication date
23-11-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Journal of Public Health / Issue 12/2022
Print ISSN: 2198-1833
Electronic ISSN: 1613-2238
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01664-1

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