Meditation for Burnout in PA Students

Feasibility Clinical Trial

Official title:

Feasibility of The Mindfulness Meditation App "Calm" to Reduce Burnout in Physician Assistant Students

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04169724
• Other study ID #: STUDY00010572
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 30, 2019
• Est. completion date: March 9, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: April 2020
• Source: Arizona State University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study investigates the feasibility and effects of an app-based mindfulness meditation intervention for PA students.

Description:

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of an app-based mindfulness meditation intervention for PA students.

The investigators will measure feasibility of using the Calm app for 10-minutes a day for four weeks in PA students. Feasibility will be measured with acceptability (i.e. satisfaction survey), demand (participation in the app as prescribed), and practicality (i.e., survey). Secondly, the investigators will determine the preliminary effects of a 4-week meditation intervention on burnout levels in PA students when compared to a wait list control group. Burnout symptoms (primary outcome), mindfulness, stress levels, and depressive symptoms (secondary outcomes) will be measured at baseline and post-intervention (4-weeks). Data gathered from this study will inform a future randomized controlled trial to determine the effects of a mindfulness meditation app on burnout in PA students. The information could also be used to design other studies assessing burnout in the workplace.

Aim 1: Determine the feasibility (acceptability, demand, practicality) of using the Calm app 10-minutes per day for four weeks in PA students. For the intervention group, our benchmarks will be as follows: 1) Acceptability (i.e., satisfaction) ≥70%, 2) Demand (i.e., participation in the app as prescribed, intention to use) ≥70%, 3) Practicality (i.e., survey) ≥70%.

Aim 2: Determine the preliminary effects of using the Calm app 10-minutes per day for four weeks on burnout (primary outcome) mindfulness, stress levels, and depressive symptoms (secondary outcomes) in PA students as compared to a wait-list control group.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 19
• Est. completion date: March 9, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: March 9, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Physician assistant students currently enrolled in school who do not practice meditation regularly

• > 18 years of age

• Able to speak/read/understand English

• Residing in the U.S.

• Regular internet access via mobile phone, tablet, etc.

• Willing to participate in app-based meditation program

• Burnout, classified as a score greater than or equal to 3 on the non-propriety single item burnout measure.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Physician assistant students who currently (within the last six months) practice meditation

• Professionals who identify as a practicing physician assistant

• People who are not currently enrolled in physician assistant school

• Individuals who are not burnt out, classified as a score less than or equal to 2 on the non-propriety single item burnout measure.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Burnout, Psychological
• Burnout, Student
• Feasibility

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Calm Meditation
10 minutes per day of meditation via the Calm app.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Arizona Biomedical Collaborative	Phoenix	Arizona

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Arizona State University	Calm

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Burnout	The Maslach Burnout Inventory is a 22-item inventory used to measure aspects of the burnout syndrome within three subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Using a seven-point scale (0, never; 1, a few times per year; 2, once a month; 3, a few times a month; 4, once a week; 5, a few times a week; 6, every day), participants rate their experience of burnout. Possible scores on the emotional exhaustion subscale range from 0 to 54. Possible scores on the depersonalization subscale range from 0 to 30. For both the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization subscales, higher mean scores correspond to higher degrees of burnout. Possible scores on the personal accomplishment subscale range from 0 to 48. Lower mean scores on the personal accomplishment subscale correspond to higher degrees of burnout. Scores are computes via sum.	Change from baseline to post-intervention (week 4).
Secondary	Mindfulness	The Freidburg Mindfulness Inventory is used to measure mindfulness using a 14-item questionnaire covering all aspects of mindfulness. Using a four-point scale, (1, rarely; 2, occasionally; 3, fairly often; 4, almost always), participants are asked to characterize their experience of mindfulness. Higher scores indicate higher levels of mindfulness. Scores are computed via sum.	Change from baseline to post-intervention (week 4).
Secondary	Stress	The Perceived Stress Scale is a 10-item inventory used for the assessment of perceived stress. The scale measures the degree to which situations are appraised as stressful. The items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Higher scores indicate higher levels of stress. Scores are computed via sum.	Change from baseline to post-intervention (week 4).
Secondary	Depression	The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is used to measure and diagnose depression using a 9-item self-report measure. Items are rated 4-item scale ranging from 0 (Not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). Higher scores correspond with more severe depressive symptoms. Scores are computed via sum.	Change from baseline to post-intervention (week 4).