A workplace resilience program to support child care providers’ mental health
Official title: A Cluster-Randomized Control Trial of a Workplace Resilience Intervention for Child Care Providers' Mental Health & Well-Being
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11381178 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A fully remote, randomized trial will test a web-based Stress Management and Resilience Training (SMART) program to improve mental health and well-being for child care providers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $727,170 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AT012620-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11381178 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Child care providers who experience work-related stress and have access to the internet for online programming.
✕Less likely to help
Providers who do not engage with the online intervention or whose stress is not responsive to resilience training may see little benefit.
What this research studies
This study tests a fully online resilience program designed for child care workers who experience high stress. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive the web-based SMART program or standard resources, with follow-up assessments to measure mental health, well-being, and job satisfaction. The trial emphasizes scalability and practicality by removing in-person requirements, aiming to reach marginalized workers who may have limited access to traditional programs. If successful, the program could be adopted in similar workplace settings to support staff well-being and retention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could reduce stress and improve mental health among child care providers, potentially enhancing job satisfaction and caregiver stability.
How similar studies have gone: Prior early work suggests feasibility and initial efficacy, but this trial aims for rigorous, fully powered results.
Where this research is happening
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jones, Deborah J — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Jones, Deborah J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving Mental Health and Well-Being for Child Care Providers
This project is testing a web-based program to help child care providers manage stress and improve their mental health.
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Understanding how early life experiences affect maternal mental health after childbirth
This study is looking at how good experiences in childhood and strong coping skills during pregnancy can help new moms feel better mentally after giving birth, especially for those who have dealt with a lot of stress in their lives.
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Improving mental health and well-being for child care providers through a remote resilience program
This study is testing an online program called SMART that helps child care providers manage stress and improve their mental health, making it easier for them to learn and practice self-care from home.
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Fostering Community Connections to Strengthen Youth Resilience and Well-Being
A Hawaii-based effort helps teens and young adults get mental health and preventive care more easily by building local networks and smart referral pathways.
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Project STRIVE: Mindful self-regulation to support resilient students
A mindfulness-based program is tested with BIPOC students who are academically striving to see if it helps balance academic success with better physical and mental health.
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Mental health and coping for teens who leave home without a parent
This work looks at how hunger and violence affect the mental health and coping of teens (about ages 15–19) who leave home without a parent.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.