Empowering the helping hands: A positive psychological intervention for enhancing work engagement and reducing stress among preschool social workers in Hong Kong

This study explores the efficacy of the Early Advancement in Social-Emotional Health and Positivity (EASP) programme, designed to enhance personal resources, namely self-compassion and positivity among preschool social workers, to reduce stress and bolster work engagement. A total of 84 preschool social workers (M_age = 32.47 years, SD = 6.86, range = 22-55; female = 90.48%) participated in a 5-week randomized control trial. Participants were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 38), which received four online workshops and an online activity, or the wait-list control group (n = 46), which received the intervention post-data collection. Self-compassion, positivity, work engagement, and work stress were measured before and after the intervention. Results from a path analytic model indicated excellent fit with the data, χ2 = 2.08, df = 3, Comparative Fit Index = 1.00, Tucker-Lewis Index = 1.00, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.00 (90% CI = 0.00-0.16), SRMR = 0.03. The intervention demonstrated direct effects on changes in self-compassion (β = 0.21, p = 0.04) and positivity (β = 0.28, p = 0.03), with indirect effects on work engagement (β = 0.13, p = 0.02), while no significant impact was observed on work stress (β = -0.09, p = 0.06). These findings underscore the efficacy of positive psychological interventions in fostering work engagement among social workers. Incorporating the EASP programme into ongoing professional development activities is recommended to enhance the job engagement and psychological well-being of social workers in early childhood education and care sectors.