Effectiveness of the Mental Support for Media Program

The profession of a journalist is vital—crucial in peacetime, and especially so during war. But behind the profession stands a human being who is no less important and who sometimes needs support. The nature of the work, combined with the specifics of newsroom workflows, significantly increases the risk of professional burnout and other mental health challenges. We have detailed the difficulties journalists face in our study on the state of journalistic mental well-being.

At the same time, there are accessible ways to improve the well-being of media professionals. As part of the Mental Support for Media (MSM) program, we offer various support options. One of these is psychotherapeutic accompaniment by specialists who not only possess the relevant education but are also familiar with the specific nuances of journalistic work.

To understand the effectiveness of this type of assistance, a comparison was conducted of survey results before and after psychotherapeutic accompaniment (*). We analyzed the survey results of 61 journalists who:

Utilized the opportunity for psychotherapeutic support for a period of 2 to 4 months;
Completed the survey both before and after the interaction;
Presented concerns that fell within the context of the symptoms we studied (depression, anxiety disorders, and burnout).

In addition to numerical data, we also requested subjective feedback from journalists who completed the final survey. Currently, we have 100% positive feedback regarding interactions with the psychotherapists of the Mental Support for Media program.

The results regarding efficiency across the screening categories are presented below.

I. Reducing symptoms of professional burnout

*For all individuals whose burnout levels increased, there was a significant improvement in other parameters (symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders decreased substantially following psychotherapy).

**Burnout levels remained unchanged in individuals who initially presented with only mild symptoms of burnout.

Conclusion: 79% of the journalists who participated in the program experienced a positive effect following psychotherapeutic accompaniment (reduction in burnout symptoms).

II. Reducing symptoms of depression

Conclusion: 95% of the journalists who participated in the program experienced a positive effect following psychotherapeutic accompaniment (reduction in depression symptoms).

III. Reducing symptoms of anxiety disorder

Conclusion: 85% of the journalists who participated in the program experienced a positive effect following psychotherapeutic accompaniment (reduction in anxiety disorder symptoms).

*An analysis of the statistical significance regarding the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic accompaniment was conducted. Specifically, the results of the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test (following the Shapiro-Wilk normality test) for dependent samples show a statistically significant difference between Burnout_before та Burnout_after. This indicates the effectiveness of the therapy in reducing burnout levels. Similar results were found for the parameters of "depression symptoms" and "anxiety disorder symptoms."

Conclusions.

We studied the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic accompaniment for journalists within the Mental Support for Media (MSM) program. We analyzed the survey results of 61 journalists who:

utilized the opportunity for psychotherapeutic support for a period of 2 to 4 months;
completed the survey both before and after the interaction;
presented concerns that fell within the context of the symptoms we studied (depression, anxiety disorders, and burnout).

In addition to numerical data, we also requested subjective feedback from those journalists who completed the final survey. Currently, we have 100% positive feedback regarding interactions with the psychotherapists of the Mental Support for Media program.

Regarding the comparison of effectiveness across screening categories, after psychotherapeutic accompaniment:

79% of journalists experienced a reduction in burnout levels;
85% of journalists experienced a reduction in excessive anxiety;
95% of journalists saw a decrease in symptoms of depression.

In our view, the MSM program offers several key advantages:

Complexity: The program is comprehensive, offering various support options.
Accessibility: The service is convenient and easy to use, with no long waiting periods.
Expertise: The program's specialists are highly competent and deeply engaged.
Community Effect: A "being among your own" effect is created; as the entire newsroom becomes involved in the program in one way or another, colleagues who were the first to try the service can provide feedback to others. This further normalizes the act of seeking psychological support.

The study was prepared by:

Anastasiia Nizhnik, psychotherapist, co-founder of the Braincult Center for Development and Psychotherapy and the Resilience Hub platform.
Andrii Sydorenko, coordinator of the Mental Support for Media program at the Souspilnist Foundation, co-founder of the Resilience Hub platform