Unwinding Physician Anxiety

University of Massachusetts, Worcester57 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to test an app-based mindfulness training program to see if it can reduce anxiety and burnout in physicians.

In this study, 50 clinicians will be provided access to the Unwinding Anxiety program. The intervention period will last 3 months and changes in anxiety and burnout along with program engagement will be assessed at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Anxiety Burnout, Professional

Interventions

App-based mindfulness trainingBEHAVIORAL

Unwinding Anxiety is an app-based mindfulness training program which includes a progression through 30+ daily modules. Each module's training is delivered via short video tutorials and animations (\~10 min/day). Each training builds on the previous one; modules are 'locked' so that they can only be viewed at a pace of 1/day (previous modules can be reviewed at any time). A built-in self-assessment is taken after every seven modules to ensure key concepts are learned before moving on with automated suggestions on which modules to repeat based on self-assessment results. User-initiated guided practices range from short exercises (30 seconds) to manage anxiety the moment it arises to formal guided meditations (up to 15 minutes), and can be accessed at any time.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Currently employed as a physician * Direct patient interaction * Owns a smartphone * Endorsed anxiety based on answering yes to following questions: 1. Do you feel nervous, anxious, or on edge? 2. Do you feel you worry too much about different things? * Endorsed willingness to use smartphone app for 10+ minutes/day for 30 days * Endorsed willingness to complete online surveys Exclusion Criteria: * None

Locations (1)

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Changes in anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) questionnaire will be used to assess anxiety. The GAD-7 uses a 4-point Likert scale where 0 is "Not at all" to 3 "Nearly every day". Scores can range from 0 to 21 and higher scores indicate increasing severity of anxiety.

Time frame: 1 month

Secondary Outcomes

Changes in burnout

Two, single-item questions from the emotional exhaustion and cynicism domains of the Maslach Burnout Inventory will be used to assess burnout. Both questions are on a 7-point Likert scale where 0 is "never" and 7 is "every day". Scores can range from 0 to 7 for each domain and higher scores indicate increasing levels of burnout.

Time frame: 1 month

Program engagement

Program engagement will be assessed based on the number of modules completed. The program has 30 modules therefore scores scan range from 0 to 30 modules.

Time frame: 1 month

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.