Impact of the “Stressadamente” Program on Preventing Bullying for Formal Caregivers of Older People

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a mental health promotion program on bullying among formal caregivers of older adults. Method: This is an experimental study with two groups (control and experimental) consisting of 53 formal caregivers from four daycare centers in the North of Portugal. The Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) was used in two assessment moments (pre and post implementation) of the program. Results: Regarding the subjective assessment of bullying, it was found that 12 (23.1 %) formal caregivers subjectively assessed that they were bullying victims. In the objective assessment of bullying, only two (3.9 %) formal caregivers objectively assessed that they were bullying victims. Regarding the subjective and objective assessment of bullying, only one (1.9 %) formal caregiver subjectively and objectively assessed that they were a bullying victim. Conclusion: Although no statistically significant results were found, awareness of the issue of mental health promotion may have contributed to these professionals taking on a new perspective on their role and the difficulties in the work context, which constitutes good practice in applied gerontology. In the future, it will be essential to develop further studies focusing on assessment methods and instruments which are more sensitive to changing attitudes towards bullying among formal caregivers of older people.