Clinical Research Directory

Effects of Brief Nature Exposure on Brain Functioning and Stress Reactivity

This study is focused on understanding the impact of time spent in nature (relative to an urban control) on stress, neural, and cardiac functioning in people experiencing high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety.

Development and Multicenter Validation of an AI-Based Remote Photoplethysmography (rPPG) Facial Scan for Multimodal Health Assessment

The goal of this observational study is to learn if a non-contact facial scan using artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to check health status in adults living in urban areas such as Jakarta. The facial scan uses a method called remote photoplethysmography (rPPG), which measures small changes in blood flow from the face using a camera. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. How close are the results from the facial scan to standard medical measurements, such as heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels? 2. Can the facial scan estimate other health indicators, such as blood sugar, lipid profile, HbA1c, and hemoglobin levels? 3. Is there a relationship between the facial scan results and mental health, such as stress, anxiety, and depression? Participants will take part in several simple and mostly non-invasive procedures: 1. Answer questionnaires about their mental health and daily habits 2. Have basic health checks, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and body measurements 3. Provide a blood sample for laboratory testing 4. Complete a facial scan using a camera for about 1 to 3 minutes Researchers will compare the results from the facial scan with standard clinical and laboratory tests to see how well the technology works. This study may help develop a simple and accessible screening tool that can be used for early detection of health risks. It may also support the use of digital health and telemedicine in community and clinical settings.

Smartphone Climate Adaptation and IPV Intervention for Women in Informal Settlements in Kenya

This study is testing a smartphone-delivered program to help women living in informal settlements in Kenya manage intimate partner violence (IPV) and stress related to extreme weather events. Women in these communities often face high levels of violence from partners, challenges caused by climate-related events, and limited access to support services. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a mobile intervention or a comparison condition. The mobile program provides short, tailored sessions that help women learn safety planning, coping skills, and strategies for adapting to climate-related stress. The program also offers tools to improve communication and strengthen social support. The main goal of the study is to see whether this smartphone-based approach can reduce the frequency and severity of IPV over 12 months. The study will also examine changes in stress levels, self-confidence in handling problems, social support, and safety behaviors. Results from this study may help create accessible, scalable support for women experiencing IPV and climate-related stress in similar settings.

Bonding Before Birth: A mHealth Intervention for First-time Expectant Couples

Emotional regulation is a key component of reducing parenting stress, a sense of self-efficacy, and thus successful parenting, child outcomes, and productivity amongst working parents. However, few interventions begin building these necessary components in pregnancy prior to the extremely stressful period immediately post-partum, where little trait and behavioural modification occurs. More importantly, most interventions overlook the importance of having both partners, despite fathers/partners playing a significant role in influencing maternal stress and mood symptoms. This goal of this study is to examine whether short weekly exercises delivered through a mobile app can help first-time parents feel better emotionally during pregnancy. These exercises are designed to help people manage their emotions and stress. Researchers want to know if doing these exercises, along with getting weekly feedback and encouragement, can reduce signs of depression and improve emotional control. Expecting mothers and fathers who are having their first child may be able to join the study if they meet certain conditions. Participants should be planning to stay in Singapore for the next two years and be comfortable using a smartphone and answering questions in English. Participants may benefit from learning new ways to manage stress and emotions, which could help improve their mental health. Participants will wear a Fitbit watch to track activity. They will complete a short weekly survey about their well-being during pregnancy and a monthly survey about their work productivity until six months after the baby is born. They will also answer online surveys about their health, relationships, and background at the start, three times during pregnancy, and three times after birth. In addition, they will visit the research lab twice to take part in tasks that measure thinking and behaviour.

HRVB for Stress and Anxiety During Dentistry Students' Clinical Transition

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRVB) can reduce stress and anxiety in dentistry students during the transition from pre-clinical training to clinical practice. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does HRVB training reduce perceived stress, measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), from baseline to post-intervention and to 2-month follow-up? 2. Does HRVB training reduce psychological distress, measured with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, 10-item version (K-10), from baseline to post-intervention and to 2-month follow-up? 3. Does HRVB training reduce anxiety, measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Form Y, State subscale state anxiety (STAI Y-1), from baseline to post-intervention and to 2-month follow-up? Researchers will compare an HRVB training group to a control group (no intervention) to see if HRVB leads to greater improvements in stress, distress, and anxiety across the study time points. Participants will: * Receive study information and provide electronic informed consent. * Complete online baseline questionnaires (sociodemographic questionnaire, K-10, PSS-10, and STAI Y-1). * Be randomly assigned to one of two groups: HRVB training or control (no intervention). * If assigned to the HRVB group, complete a 5-week program with 10 sessions (twice per week; about 10 minutes per session) using an emWave2 HRVB device; participants will practice slow breathing (about 6 breaths per minute) while recalling a positive memory, with real-time feedback provided in a game format. * If assigned to the HRVB group, practice the breathing exercise daily. * If assigned to the control group, not receive HRVB sessions or daily breathing training as part of the study, and only complete the study assessments at the scheduled time points. * Complete the post-intervention assessment online after the intervention period (same questionnaires as baseline except the sociodemographic questionnaire). * Complete a follow-up assessment online about 2 months after the end of the intervention period; participants will be contacted by email to complete this follow-up questionnaire.

(MAP) Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Elevated Stress

The purpose of this study is to test whether a tailored mindfulness program, called the Mindful Awareness Practice (MAP) or a Health Education Program (HEP) can reduce stress and improve memory, mood, and well-being in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and elevated stress.

Stress Management Intervention for Young Turkish Women

This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and probable impact of a low intensity psychosocial intervention program designed to help individuals to manage their stress levels. Consequently, this study will implement and measure the feasibility, randomization, retention, assessment procedures, and preliminary effects of the Self-Help Plus (SH+) program developed by the World Health Organization. This intervention, which has been used among immigrants and has proven to be effective, is intended to be implemented for the first time among distressed young Turkish-speaking women in Türkiye (ages between 18 and 29). Participants who will receive this intervention program will be compared with others in the control group who experience similar stress levels but will not receive SH+ during the trial period. Participants in the control group will receive SH+ after the completion of follow-up assessments at 3 months.

Health Surveillance at Constructor University Bremen (CUB) and Among HAW-Hamburg Employees

The aim of Health Surveillance is to analyze and describe the state of health of students at Constructor University, key influencing factors and individual resources by using mixed-method design.

A Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Reduce Stress Through the Cultivation of Loving-Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity in Healthcare Professionals

Nearly 50% of the adult workforce experience adverse psychological symptoms (e.g., stress, depression, burnout, etc.) stemming from workplace stressors, with healthcare workers experiencing rates as high as 80%. Some common complaints and downstream consequences of working in high-stress healthcare occupations are elevated levels of perceived stress, depression, and burnout. These conditions have been associated with unfavorable occupational (e.g., increased medical errors), patient (e.g., increased mortality rates), and provider-related outcomes (e.g., increased rates of cardiovascular disease), imposing a heavy burden on an already stretched system. Given the impact of perceived stress, depression, and burnout on employee and patient health, a clear need exists to develop effective interventions to reduce distress and promote well-being among healthcare professionals. In particular, interventions that target processes particularly vulnerable to provider stress (e.g., compassion) are needed. The present study will evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention inspired by the Buddhist Four Immeasurables practice on reducing perceived stress (primary outcome), depressive symptoms, burnout, and biological markers of inflammation, and enhancing psychological well-being and sleep quality (secondary outcomes) in 80 healthcare workers. Additionally, we will investigate several mediators (compassion, positive emotions, equanimity, and mindfulness) of intervention effects. Participants will be healthcare employees of UCLA Health. They will be enrolled in a six-week, two-arm randomized controlled trial. Participants will complete self-report questionnaires at baseline, mid-course, and post-intervention to assess study outcomes and mediators. We aim to advance the study of interventions that reduce distress and promote well-being using practices that cultivate kind feelings toward oneself and others.

Mindful-Med: the Evaluation of the Mindfulness-based Stress-coping and Burnout Prevention Programme for Medical Interns.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness-based healthcare education (MBHC) programme with medical interns. Specific objectives are to: * Recruit at least 24 participants to the study. * Examine the feasibility (recruitment and retention rates) and acceptability of the MBHC programme. * Conduct a focus group process evaluation, exploring the interns' perceptions of the MBHC programme, including their adherence to and views on the acceptability of the MBHC programme for medical interns.

Evaluating Healthcare Professionals' Satisfaction and Stress Mitigation Using Virtual Reality Intervention in Surgical Ward

The goal of this feasibility study is to learn whether a VR intervention is feasible, acceptable, and satisfactory for healthcare workers in surgical wards to help mitigate stress. Secondary objectives include assessing its potential contribution to stress reduction, user comfort, and practical integration into daily workflows. Participants will take part in a single 10-minute VR intervention session.

Impact of OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX®) on Stress

The purpose of this prospective single-center, blinded\*, randomized, proof-of-concept study is to determine whether OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX®) injections will change the level of stress perceived by generally healthy adult female participants. It is hypothesized that BOTOX® injections will be associated with decreases in perceived stress levels, measured by scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaire. The primary outcome measure is a chronological decrease in PSS scores between any two points of the study period. Comparison of the placebo- and BOTOX®-treated participant scores will either support or disprove the study hypothesis. Qualified participants who meet the study requirements, including a one-time completion of basic laboratory testing before treatment. The treatment visit starts on day-1 of a 12-week period, which consists a total of four clinic visits and one online visit, which involve: * vital signs and Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements * basic/interval history and physical * 2 Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaires * injection of 64 units of either BOTOX® or sterile salt solution * stay for 60-minutes after treatment for monitoring and to complete study tasks