Strengthening psychological resilience at work

This study is now open to new participants.

What is the project about?
All work can be stressful. Although we are not always able to control the source of stress at work, everyone is resilient and can learn mental strategies to build and use their resilience when they need it most. This project explores whether a coaching approach, Functional Imagery Training or FIT, can help people feel more psychologically resilient in the workplace. FIT teaches mental skills to help people stay motivated and confident in achieving their goals. 
Why would FIT be helpful with resilience at work?
Each job is different in nature and so challenges faced in the workplace vary between people. Therefore, rather than offering solutions which may not be unique to your own work situation, FIT encourages you to create bespoke solutions and help you get what you want out of difficult work situations. We build on your personal strengths and train psychological skills to create your own personalised plan for feeling more resilient. FIT has previously been successful in increasing grit, promoting weight loss, and reducing snacking. 
What are the criteria for taking part?
We are interested in people who are currently in either full-time or part-time paid work. You should be able to attend five one-hour group sessions (four weekly sessions, and a fifth session two weeks after the fourth session) on the University of Plymouth campus. 
You will not be able to take part if you are a student, retired from work, or a volunteer.
What do I have to do if I take part?
If you decide to take part, we will ask you to fill out some questionnaires about your resilience, wellbeing, quality of life, life satisfaction, and work enjoyment, as well as a demographic questionnaire. You will then be randomly allocated to receive FIT after you have completed these assessments, or in 18 weeks. 
Receiving FIT includes attending a group session (no more than seven people) a week for four weeks and a fifth session two weeks after the fourth session. All sessions last one hour. 
Regardless of your allocation, we ask you complete the questions again in 6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 18 weeks.
As soon as sufficient people have been recruited to form a group, you will be offered a choice of dates and times. Each group session will help you build mental skills that you can use at work or in any other context. Groups will be reminded each time of the importance of confidentiality.
Assessments and questionnaires
When you first enrol in the study (baseline), at week 6 (during the last session), week 10, and week 18 we will ask you to complete questionnaires about your resilience, wellbeing, quality of life, life satisfaction, work engagement and enjoyment.
We also invite you to complete a short questionnaire about your experiences with FIT. 
We will reward £20 in retail vouchers upon completion of all assessments.
Macro photo of tooth wheel mechanism with MENTORING, MOTIVATION, TRAINING, GOAL, SUCCESS, SUPPORT and ADVICE concept letters, credit: EtiAmmos, courtesy of Shutterstock
Computer and Information Security induction image - image courtesy of Shutterstock
Confidentiality and anonymity 
We keep data you provide anonymous. You will be allocated a unique ID code and we do not link your data to any personal identifying information. All data are password protected and stored on the University of Plymouth OneDrive and only accessible to the research team. Anonymised data may be used in publications, journal articles, conference presentations or posters but will not be linked to any personal information. 
Right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from the study if you change your mind up until the point at which data will have been anonymised and combined with other data. You do not have to give justification for withdrawing. 
Are there any risks from taking part?
Functional imagery is a skill that you can adapt for any aspect of your life. It has been used in other contexts, including weight loss and sporting performance, without harm. 
If you decide to take part, please complete the consent form. 
Contact details
If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Despina Djama.