Interventions for Improving Psychological Detachment From Work: A Meta-Analysis

Tina Karabinski*, Verena C. Haun, Annika Nübold, Johannes Wendsche, Jürgen Wegge

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Psychological detachment from work during off-job time is crucial to sustaining employee health and wellbeing. However, this can be difficult to achieve, particularly when job stress is high and recovery is most needed. Boosting detachment from work is therefore of interest to many employees and organizations, and over the last decade numerous interventions have been developed and evaluated. The aim of this meta-analysis was to review and statistically synthesize the state of research on interventions designed to improve detachment both at work and outside of it. After a systematic search (covering the period 1998-2020) of the published and unpublished literature, 30 studies with 34 interventions (N = 3,725) were included. Data were analyzed using a random-effects model. Interventions showed a significant positive effect on detachment from work (d = 0.36) on average. Moderator analyses revealed that it did not matter how the different studies conceptualized detachment but that the context in which detachment was measured (outside or at work) significantly influenced intervention effectiveness. Furthermore, using the stressor-detachment model as the organizing framework, we found that while interventions addressing job stressors or altering primary and secondary appraisal were all effective, only the interventions that addressed primary appraisal were more effective than those that did not. Additionally, while the delivery format did not moderate intervention effectiveness, interventions with longer durations and higher dosages were more effective than shorter and lower dosage interventions. Finally, interventions were more effective among older participants and participants with initial health or recovery-related impairments.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)224–242
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Occupational Health Psychology
Volume26
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2021

Keywords

  • psychological detachment from work
  • interventions
  • meta-analysis
  • systematic review
  • FILE-DRAWER PROBLEM
  • STRESS-MANAGEMENT
  • SLEEP QUALITY
  • JOB STRESS
  • RECOVERY EXPERIENCES
  • HOME INTERFACE
  • MINDFULNESS
  • RESOURCES
  • CONSERVATION
  • BOUNDARIES

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