Operationalization of One Health Burnout Prevention and Recovery: Participatory Action Research-Design of Nature-Based Health Promotion Interventions for Employees

Ann Sterckx; Kris Van den Broeck; Roy Remmen; Kathleen Dekeirel; Hildegard Hermans; Carmen Hesters; Tine Daeseleire; Viki Broes; Jo Barton; Valerie Gladwell; Sarah Dandy; Michéal Connors; Annamaria Lammel; Hans Keune

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.720761

Operationalization of One Health Burnout Prevention and Recovery: Participatory Action Research-Design of Nature-Based Health Promotion Interventions for Employees

Front Public Health. 2021 Sep 7:9:720761. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.720761. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Ann Sterckx¹, Kris Van den Broeck², Roy Remmen³, Kathleen Dekeirel⁴, Hildegard Hermans⁴, Carmen Hesters⁵, Tine Daeseleire⁶, Viki Broes^{7

8}, Jo Barton⁹, Valerie Gladwell⁹, Sarah Dandy¹⁰, Michéal Connors¹¹, Annamaria Lammel¹², Hans Keune¹

Affiliations

¹ Chair Care and the Natural Living Environment, Department of Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
² Chair Public Mental Health, Department of Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
³ Department of Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁴ Human Resources Department, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.
⁵ Department Human, Communication, Organization, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁶ The Human Link, Let's Talk About Mental Health, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁷ Vereniging van Erkende Stress en Burn-out Coaches, Brussels, Belgium.
⁸ Vereniging Zonder Winstoogmerk Burnout Vlaanderen, Berlaar, Belgium.
⁹ School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.
¹⁰ The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare Cranbrook House, Oxford, United Kingdom.
¹¹ The Natural Academy, Bristol, United Kingdom.
¹² Department Psychology, Laboratory Paragraphe, University Paris-8, Saint-Denis, France.

Abstract

Burnout is, besides a global, complex phenomenon, a public health issue with negative consequences on personal, organizational, social, and economic levels. This paper outlines the co-design of a novel Nature-based Burnout Coaching intervention, called NABUCO. Due to the complexity of burnout, we propose a One Health approach in healthcare, educational and governmental pilot organizations, to deliver guidelines and protocols for prevention and recovery of burnout. We advocate the inclusion of the salutogenic and mutual healing capacity of nature connectedness, facilitating a positive impact on mental and environmental health. A transdisciplinary Participative Action Research-design resulted in an iterative adaptive cycle of co-design, implementation, and evaluation of NABUCO.

Keywords: biophilic design; burnout; health promotion intervention; mental health; nature connectedness; nature-based; one health; participative action research.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Burnout, Professional* / prevention & control
Health Promotion
Health Services Research
Humans
One Health*
Research Design