RESEARCH REPORT PLATFORM PRESENTATION

PERCEIVED BENEFITS FROM A REHABILITATION PROGRAM – A STUDY ON PATIENTS WITH BURNOUT. Ahlgren C¹, Stenlund T^2,3, Steinholtz K³, Slunga-Birgander L³, Fjellman-Wiklund A¹; ¹Dep Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. ²Dep Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Occupational Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. ³Center for Occupational and Behavioural Medicine, University Hospial, Umeå, Sweden

PURPOSE: One hundred and thirty-nine persons with burnout had participated in a rehabilitation study for one-year. They had been randomized to a program with 30 sessions of a cognitive group treatment and Qigong once a week (REST A) or to a program with Qigong alone once a week (REST B). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the programs with respect to the participant’s subjectively perceived benefits. RELEVANCE: It is important that rehabilitation programs are based on measures relevant for the patient group in focus. In order to assure that, it is important to include participant’s subjective experiences from the program in parallell with objective measures. PARTICIPANTS: 18 persons with burnout, 5 women and 4 men from each of the programs REST A and REST B were included. Mean age 45.6±7.4 years. METHODS: Thematic interviews were conducted with each person. The interviews were taped and transcribed verbatim. ANALYSIS: The transcripts from the interviews were analyzed using a qualitative analyze method, Grounded Theory. In the analysis core concepts and subcathegories were defined as well as the relation between cathegories. RESULTS: The overall theme in all interviews regardless of rehabilitation program was that rehabilitation is an ongoing process with ups and downs. Persons in the two programs had both similar and program-specific experiences of benefits from the programs. Core concepts emerging in the analyses were Recognition and Hope. The concepts were constructed from slightly different experiences depending on program attendance. Recognition in REST A was constructed from shared experiences with other participants and theoretical explanations given in the cognitive treatment group, while Recognition in REST B was based on shared experiences with other participants and bodily reactions during Qigong sessions. The concept Hope was in both groups constituted of attitude and guidance from the rehabilitation staff. This, together with program-specific self-help tools learnt during the rehabilitation, was perceived to give hope for the future. CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation programs for persons with burnout was perceived as empowering by the participants and gave them hope for the future. IMPLICATIONS: The use of qualitative methods in systematic evaluations of treatment programs can give new and unexpected knowledge. This knowledge can be valuable in the development of new programs. KEYWORDS: Burnout, Qualitative method, Interview. FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The study was funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research. CONTACT: christina.ahlgren@physiother.umu.se

ETHICS COMMITTEE: The Research Ethics Committee of Umeå University approved of the study. (Um dnr 02-311)