Clinical Research Directory

Transcendental Meditation Intervention to Reduce Burnout and Enhance Resilience Among NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine Employees and Residents

The goal of this study is to learn if a meditation intervention called Transcendental Meditation or TM can be used in a small department at Weill Cornell Medicine to help reduce employees' levels of burnout, anxiety, insomnia, and depression as well as to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the meditation practice by Weill Cornell employees. The main question the study aims to answer is whether: • Levels of burnout, anxiety, insomnia, and depression will be decreased, and overall mental well-being will improve over a 3.5-month period before and after TM intervention. Participants will attend 9 sessions total (8 group sessions and 1 individual session) with a certified TM instructor from The David Lynch Foundation Institute for Mental Health and Resilience where they will gain experience in proper TM techniques. Also, participants will conduct 2 of their own TM sessions at home daily during the course of this study.

Floatation Experience in Nurses and Physicians

The goal of this observational study is to monitor the floatation experience and continue the program as long as deemed important. The main question it aims to answer is: will inventory wellbeing scores increase according to the number of floatation sessions accrued? Nurses (registered, practitioner, and anesthetist) and physicians, employed at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Trauma Center, Mercy Health, will be welcomed to participate in the floatation experience. Participants will be given an option to complete the Wellbeing Inventory survey prior to each floatation session.

PATH to Reducing Burnout Among Peers Who Deliver Overdose Prevention Services (R61 Phase Pilot)

The investigators propose to develop and test the effectiveness of PATH (Peer Advanced Training for total Health) as an educational workforce intervention for improving peer recovery support specialists' (PRSS) overdose prevention (OP) service delivery ability and quality and as a PRSS workforce and service system support. The PATH intervention combines (a) virtual education and (b) case-based consultation. The investigators hypothesize that PATH will improve organizational-level PRSS burnout, additional workforce outcomes, and OP service quality.

Hand in Hand: Feasibility of a Compassion-Focused App to Support Parents of Children With Mental Health Problems

Parents of children and adolescents with mental health problems may experience substantial caregiving burden and emotional distress, including persistent stress, self-criticism, shame, and parental burnout. Hand in Hand is a four-week, self-guided, compassion-focused app developed to support parents of children and adolescents referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Drawing on principles from Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and inspired by work by Kirby et al., the app was developed through a participatory co-design process involving parents and clinical and research experts. The project comprises two interrelated sub-studies. Sub-study 1 is an open feasibility study evaluating the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of Hand in Hand among parents of children and adolescents referred to CAMHS in the Central Denmark Region. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention, adherence, engagement, acceptability, and data completeness. Preliminary changes in parental outcomes, including parental burnout, emotion regulation, family empowerment, self-compassion, self-criticism, shame, and emotional distress, as well as parent-reported child outcomes, will also be explored. Sub-study 2 is an embedded qualitative study exploring parents' experiences of using Hand in Hand and their perceptions of whether and how the intervention influences parental well-being and family interactions.

Work-related Challenges in Psychiatric-psychosomatic Clinics

The aim of this project is to evaluate the work-related challenges faced by healthcare professionals (nurses, psychologists, and doctors) in German psychiatric-psychosomatic clinics. By applying the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study investigates how job demands and resources influence job satisfaction, turnover intention, and subjective service quality. Special focus is given to the roles of burnout, engagement, and psychological safety as mediators and moderators in these relationships. The project consists of two phases. In Phase 1, a cross-sectional online survey targeting healthcare professionals in psychiatric-psychosomatic clinics across Germany is conducted to identify key factors affecting well-being and performance in mental health settings. In Phase 2, a participatory co-design workshop with multiprofessional healthcare professionals is conducted to further explore work-related challenges, supportive factors, interprofessional collaboration, and possible practical support approaches for the clinical work environment. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of work-related experiences in psychiatric-psychosomatic care and support the development of feasible and practice-oriented approaches to improve working conditions and service quality.

Fostering Optimal Regulation of Emotion for Prevention of Secondary Trauma (FOREST)

FOREST is a positive emotion skills program designed to target mental health and coping needs for frontline violence prevention workers at UCAN. Ten skills are taught over a period of nine months during existing meetings and wellness activities, as well as in online modules in UCAN's Learning Management System (LMS). Through infusing the FOREST skills throughout UCAN, we hope to inspire organizational culture change that will emphasize the importance of wellbeing and enhance resilience, therefore reducing burnout and turnover.

The Surgical Education Culture Optimization Through Targeted Interventions Based on National Comparative Data - "The SECOND Trial"

Due to a number of factors, residents are susceptible to mistreatment (i.e., discrimination, harassment, and abuse) and toxic outcomes (i.e., burnout, attrition, and suicidality). Our work following the FIRST Trial identified considerable variation in program-level rates of resident-reported burnout, gender discrimination, racial discrimination, sexual harassment, and verbal abuse. To investigate these issues, the SECOND Trial will include a national mixed-methods analysis of and a pragmatic cluster-randomized controlled trial to improve the resident learning environment and trainee wellness.

Leadership ThriveCircles

This study aims to strengthen leadership competencies among CU SOM faculty who have at least five direct reports by promoting meaningful behavior change in leadership practices and fostering a culture of peer support, to advance employee well-being and help reduce burnout among healthcare professionals. 125 leaders will take part in a six-month leadership development program consisting of 6 self-paced learning focus areas and 6 in-person sessions with peers to discuss. The investigators will evaluate the program's implementation process and its effectiveness in achieving desired outcomes.

Continuous Heart Rate Variability Monitoring in Doctors; Understanding Patterns of Stress and Recovery and Their Relationship With Self-reported Resilience, Burnout and Wellbeing.

Burnout is an increasing concern in the medical professions. This study aims to utilise established, validated self-report measures combined with continuous heart rate variability measurements to better understand the stress and recovery patterns experienced by doctors that may contribute to burnout. This mixed methods study design will consist of an ecological momentary assessment phase where participants will complete commonly used and validated real-time subjective measures while concurrently wearing a heart rate variability monitor to provide an objective measure of stress. Following on from this, participants of interest will be invited to participate in semi structured interviews to further explore their experiences of stress and recovery.

Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Physician Well-Being and Burnout

Through an open-label study involving a small group of UCSD physicians experiencing burnout, the investigators will evaluate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary effectiveness of PAT to reduce burnout symptoms.

Khanya Ekhaya: A Home-Based Intervention

Mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and harmful alcohol use are prevalent among people with chronic diseases, including HIV, and contribute to poor engagement in care. There is a need to address untreated mental health problems. Community health workers (CHWs) are frontline workers who play a central role in supporting vulnerable individuals to stay in care, including seeking people living with HIV who are newly initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) or re-initiating after a period of care disengagement. CHW-delivered interventions are promising for improving engagement and retention in care. Yet, these programs rarely address mental health -a significant barrier to chronic disease care engagement and treatment. An approach that moves beyond providing care in the clinic setting is needed. Community-delivered mental health care shows promise for integration into broader community health care services for people with chronic conditions, such as HIV. However, as CHWs are taking on more mental health care roles and community-based work, our team's preliminary research has demonstrated that high levels of stress and burnout are important considerations for successful implementation of these models.

Burnout and Well-Being in Healthcare Workers Participating in Workplace Yoga

This study aims to evaluate changes in burnout, perceived stress, coping strategies, anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being among healthcare workers participating in a workplace yoga program. Healthcare professionals are frequently exposed to high emotional demands, workload pressure, irregular shifts, and substantial clinical responsibilities, which may increase the risk of work-related stress and burnout. Workplace-based mind-body activities, including yoga, may support emotional regulation, physical recovery, stress management, and professional well-being. Using a prospective pre-post observational design, participants will undergo a multidimensional psychological assessment before starting the workplace yoga program and after completing the 10-week program. The evaluation will include measures of burnout, coping strategies, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and satisfaction with the program. The findings are expected to improve understanding of the potential association between participation in workplace yoga activities and changes in psychological and occupational well-being among healthcare workers. The results may also provide useful information for the development of organizational initiatives aimed at promoting employee well-being and preventing burnout in healthcare settings.

AI Ambient Scribe in Psychiatry

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that listens to appointments and drafts clinical notes can help clinicians in psychiatric care. Researchers also want to know if the tool changes how patients experience their care. The study includes mental health care providers (physicians, psychologists/psychotherapists, nurses, and social workers) at Psychiatrie St. Gallen and the adult patients they see in their appointments. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the AI tool lower the time clinicians spend writing notes? * Are notes written with the AI tool as good as or better than notes written without it? * Do patients notice a difference in their relationship with their clinician when the tool is used? Researchers will compare clinicians who use the AI tool to clinicians who keep writing notes their usual way, before and during the intervention period, to see if writing time, note quality, and the patient-rated therapeutic relationship differ between the two groups. Clinicians will: Join one of two groups. One group starts using the AI tool on August 14, 2026. The other group keeps writing notes the usual way. Both groups will be observed until the end of November 2026, with note quality evaluation completed in December 2026. Clinicians who cannot contribute to all measurements may, with their consent, remain in the study for automated measurement of documentation time only. Patients will: * Be invited to fill out a short, anonymous survey about their experience with their clinician. * Be asked to agree, in writing, that researchers may review the report from their initial assessment appointment.

Evidence-Based Quality Improvement to Reduce VA Primary Care Burnout

Burnout is highly prevalent among VA primary care providers and staff, impairing productivity and retention, as well as safety, quality, and patient experience. In this pilot trial, the investigators will facilitate the development of burnout reduction interventions using an evidence-based quality improvement (EBQI) approach, and then evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a pilot EBQI-facilitated burnout reduction intervention in a modified stepped wedge design in one VA region.

Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention for Peer Workers

Adapt and test the effectiveness of MBRP for substance use peer workers compared to a standard of care (referral to 12-step) control condition on substance use, relapse risk, and burnout among peers in a pilot hybrid type 1 trial. The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention can reduce substance use, relapse risk, and burnout among substance use peer workers. The objectives are to: 1. Identify the causes, consequences, and risk and protective factors for relapse among peer workers; 2. Identify peers' preferences related to MBRP content, structure, and delivery; 3. Adapt the MBRP intervention for peer workers; and 4. Assess the preliminary effectiveness and implementation outcomes of the adapted MBRP intervention. Researchers will compare MBRP to referral to 12-step (standard of care) to see if MRBP works to reduce substance use, relapse risk, and burnout. Participants will asked to: * Participate in MBRP (8 weekly 2-hour virtual sessions) * Complete 4 surveys assessing well-being outcomes * Participate in 1 virtual interview about your experience

Emergency Medicine Practitioners Overall Well-being Enhancement With Ambient AI Scribes

The primary objective of the study is to investigate the impact of an ambient AI scribe on clinicians' wellness and well-being outcomes; additionally, the investigators will also explore how the use of the ambient AI scribe will lead to changes in documentation burden, clinical note characteristics and financial productivity.

Coping Psychoeducation for Family Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients

This quasi-experimental study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-week, nurse-led structured coping psychoeducation program for family caregivers of patients receiving palliative care. The study will examine the effects of the intervention on caregiver burden, coping strategies, and burnout using pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Vital Coach: A Study of Resiliency in Medical Students

Medical students often begin training with psychological and physiological health metrics superior to their age-matched peers. By graduation, however, rates of depression, anxiety, and physiologic dysregulation are markedly higher, reflecting the cumulative strain of long study hours, high-stakes examinations, and the emotional burden of early patient care. Despite this, few medical schools provide structured, evidence-based tools for students to develop resiliency and recovery skills before clinical rotations begin.

Buckeye Pause Bundle

Mind-body resilience is particularly important in workplaces where there are frequent exposures to primary or secondary emotional and/or physical trauma. A 2020 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics highlighted health workers as among the largest service industries in the state of Ohio with the most amount of missed work days due to injury or illness. The purpose of this study is to develop and establish proof-of-concept of the "Buckeye Pause Bundle," a proactive workplace facilitation of mind-body resilience protective and recovery activities that includes an evidence-based mindfulness-based intervention, a wearable health device that offers user prompts and reminders based on physiological data, and worksite respite pods to support brief mindfulness practices during the workday. The target market segment for this proof-of-concept testing is healthcare providers working in acute care hospital settings. It is anticipated that end prototypes and deliverables will be very transferable to other high-stress work environments.

Implementation of the ASCEND Training for Supervisors in Dutch Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

This cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Dutch adaptation of an in-person group intervention for workplace supervisors - Advancing Supervisors' Capacity for Mental Health at Work (ASCEND) - in Dutch Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The ASCEND intervention is designed to equip supervisors with the skills to: i) know when to support their workers; ii) how to direct workers to support, and iii) advocate for action on mental health at work. The primary objectives of this project are to: * Assess to what extent the Dutch adaptation of the WHO-developed ASCEND intervention is effective in enhancing supervisors' confidence, responsiveness, mental health literacy, and self-care practices, and in reducing supervisor stigma towards mental health conditions within Dutch SMEs. * Evaluate the impact of the ASCEND intervention on employee outcomes, including mental health and work-related outcomes among supervisees (i.e., subordinates), as well as overall organizational absenteeism rates. * Identify barriers, facilitators, and key implementation and adoption indicators to support future opportunities for scaling up the ASCEND intervention. Researchers will compare two groups to evaluate the effectiveness of the ASCEND intervention. One group will receive the training (the intervention group), while the other group will receive the training after the final follow-up period (the control group). Data will be collected from both supervisors and their supervisees (i.e., subordinates) via online questionnaires at various time points. In addition, general organizational information, including absenteeism rates, will be gathered through a representative from each participating organization. To further explore the feasibility of scaling up the ASCEND intervention within the Netherlands, qualitative data will be collected through interviews and/or focus group discussions.

Caring for Providers to Improve Patient Experience (CPIPE) Trial

The activities described in this proposal are aimed at addressing health care provider stress and unconscious bias to improve quality of maternal health care, particularly related to the person-centered dimensions of care-i.e. care that is respectful and responsive to women's needs, preferences, and values. The investigators focus on health provider stress and unconscious bias because they are key drivers of poor-quality care that are often not addressed in interventions designed to improve quality of maternal health care. The investigators plan to (1) test the effectiveness of an intervention that targets provider stress and bias to improve PCMC; (2) assess the cost-effectiveness of CPIPE; (3) examine the mechanisms of impact of CPIPE on PCMC; and (3) assess impact of the CPIPE intervention on distal outcomes including maternal health seeking behavior and maternal and neonatal health.

Work-Related Health Factors in General and Special Education Teachers

This cross-sectional study aims to compare work-related health outcomes between general education teachers and special education teachers. The study will assess burnout, occupational balance, perceived stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, pain characteristics, and general job satisfaction. Participants will complete an online questionnaire including sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, such as age, sex, teaching experience, working hours, and type of teaching assignment. Standardized self-report measures will be used to evaluate burnout, occupational balance, perceived stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, and pain-related characteristics. The study will examine whether teachers working in special education differ from general education teachers in terms of burnout, stress, occupational balance, musculoskeletal problems, and pain. The findings may help identify occupational health needs among teachers and support the development of preventive strategies for improving their well-being and working conditions.

Non-Invasive Sleep Monitoring for Burnout and Retention Risk in Postgraduate Nurses

Newly graduated nurses often experience high levels of psychological stress, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and burnout during the early transition into clinical practice. Early identification of burnout and retention risk may help improve mental well-being, workforce stability, and quality of patient care. This longitudinal observational study aims to develop a non-invasive sleep-based prediction platform for assessing burnout and retention risk among postgraduate nurses. Participants will undergo repeated psychological assessments and non-contact sleep monitoring during the study period. Sleep-related physiological parameters, including sleep efficiency, sleep structure, heart rate variability, and respiratory variability, will be collected together with validated psychological questionnaires. The study will further apply machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches to integrate longitudinal physiological and psychological data for risk prediction and early identification of burnout-related conditions. The findings may support future development of precision mental health monitoring and supportive management strategies for high-stress healthcare workers.

Virtual Reality for Enhancing Self Compassion and Reducing Burnout Among Healthcare Providers

Healthcare providers in high-demand clinical settings are at high risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress due to repeated exposure to patient trauma, which can compromise well-being and quality of care. Compassion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CF-CBT) can reduce stress and enhance self-compassion, but traditional delivery is time- and resource-intensive. This project evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-enhanced CF-CBT specifically adapted for healthcare providers experiencing vicarious trauma. Grounded in Neff's self-compassion framework (emphasizing self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) the VR intervention provides 8 immersive environments where participants can practice compassion-focused skills, engage in procedural learning, and regulate emotional responses in real time. The study will be conducted at UC San Diego Health using a two-arm randomized design comparing VR-enhanced CF-CBT with self-guided compassion-focused CBT/mindfulness exercises delivered without VR. Participants will complete 8 brief VR interventional sessions (approximately 6-10 minutes each) over 4-6 weeks. Outcomes include self-compassion, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, measured using validated instruments. Feasibility and acceptability will be evaluated through recruitment, retention, session completion, engagement, and participant feedback. Findings will provide preliminary evidence for VR-enhanced compassion-focused interventions as a scalable and accessible approach to supporting healthcare providers' emotional well-being in demanding clinical environments, and will inform future cultural adaptation and implementation in low-resource and conflict-affected healthcare settings such as those in post-war zones.