The change of well-being : mediator and moderator effects of depression in Muupu intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how a mindfulness- acceptance- and value-based intervention influences multidimensional well-being, and to find out if depression mediates or moderates that effect. 216 participants were randomized to an intervention (Muupu) group and a treatment as usual (TAU) group. The participants shared burnout symptomatology, but their occupational backgrounds varied. Self-reported data was collected at three different time points: pre-intervention, after the eight-week intervention (post) and four months after the intervention (follow-up). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to investigate how multidimensional well-being, consisting of emotional, psychological and social aspects, changes in Muupu group compared to TAU group. Furthermore, it was inspected if the change of depression is a mediator between group and the change of well-being using a mediation macro based on bootstrapping method. Finally, a hierarchical regression analysis was used to find out if the change of depression moderated the connection between group and the change of well-being. Results showed that the intervention was efficacious, since the well-being in Muupu group increased more than in TAU group. The change of depression had both a partial mediator effect and a moderator effect, indicating that depression affects the change of well-being. Based on the results of this study, mindfulness-, acceptance- and value-based interventions are worth additional investigation when it comes to improving the well- being of individuals. In future studies, it is recommended to inspect the complex interaction of depression and well-being in closer detail.