Clinical Research Directory

Feasibility of Body Acupuncture for Stress, Burnout, Sleep Quality and Wellbeing: A Pilot Study

This pilot study investigates the acceptability and effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) body acupuncture on stress and exhaustion among healthcare professionals working in an acute care hospital. Participants will receive acupuncture twice a week for four weeks, with a total of eight treatment sessions. Stress, burnout, sleep quality, and general wellbeing will be assessed before and after the intervention and at follow-up. The study will also assess participants' satisfaction with the intervention and their willingness to participate again or recommend acupuncture to others. In addition, the feasibility of conducting the study will be evaluated, including recruitment, adherence to the treatment schedule, organizational feasibility, and completeness and quality of the collected data. The findings will help determine whether a larger clinical study of TCM body acupuncture in healthcare professionals is feasible and warranted.

Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for the Mental Health of Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare professionals may experience high levels of work-related stress and burnout. This study will examine whether an 8-week online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program improves recovery from stress and other mental health outcomes in healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care. The MBSR group will attend eight weekly online group sessions led by trained instructors. The wait-list group will not receive the program during the initial comparison period but will be offered it after completing the 6-month follow-up. Participants will complete online questionnaires before the program, immediately after the program, and 3 and 6 months later. The main outcome is change in the participants' ability to recover from stress. The study will also assess burnout, anxiety, depression, psychological well-being, personality traits, and professional quality of life. Hair samples will be collected at specified time points to measure stress-related steroid hormone levels.

Evaluating a Mindfulness Booster Course for Healthcare Staff

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a mindfulness booster course can reduce stress in healthcare staff who have previously attended a mindfulness course. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is a mindfulness booster course for healthcare staff effective at reducing their stress levels? * Are any benefits maintained for 8 weeks? Researchers will compare a mindfulness booster course with usual care to see if it helps to reduce stress. Participants will take part in either a mindfulness booster course or do what they usually do to look after their wellbeing. They will complete questionnaires at the beginning, middle and end of the study.

tDCS for Stress and Burnout in Higher Education

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) works to reduce occupational stress and burnout in university professors. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does tDCS reduce levels of occupational stress in university professors? Does tDCS reduce burnout levels in university professors? Researchers will compare active tDCS to a sham stimulation (a look-alike procedure that contains no active stimulation) and a control group to see if tDCS effectively reduces stress and burnout. Participants will: * Complete questionnaires assessing stress and burnout levels before the intervention * Complete follow-up assessments immediately after the intervention and 5 weeks later During intervention, participans of active tDCS and Sham gruops will: * Receive 10 sessions of tDCS over 4 weeks (excluding weekends), 20 minutes each

Effect of Agarwood (Aquilaria Sinensis) Inhalation Aromatherapy on Workplace Fatigue and Sleep Quality Among Hospital Employees: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hospital staff often experience workplace fatigue and poor sleep quality, which can harm their health, reduce job performance, and increase risks to patient safety. Aromatherapy is a simple, non-invasive complementary therapy that may help reduce fatigue and improve sleep. Agarwood (Aquilaria spp.) has calming and relaxing properties, but there is little clinical research on its effectiveness for hospital staff. This randomized, double-blind, controlled trial will evaluate whether agarwood aromatherapy inhalation can improve fatigue and sleep quality among hospital employees in Taiwan. About 78 participants will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1. Experimental group: Agarwood sachet containing agarwood wood chips and essential oil. 2. Control group: Placebo sachet containing almond oil. Participants will place the sachet about 60 cm from the nose during sleep for 7 nights. Data will be collected using questionnaires on workplace fatigue and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI). The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does agarwood aromatherapy reduce workplace fatigue in hospital staff? 2. Does agarwood aromatherapy improve sleep quality compared with placebo? Findings are expected to provide scientific evidence for using agarwood inhalation as a safe and convenient strategy to improve staff well-being and support a healthier hospital environment.