Clinical Research Directory

Improving Social Climate in Secure Settings With a Compassion Focused Staff Intervention

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Compassion Focused Staff Support (CFSS) intervention in improving the social climate of correctional and forensic psychiatric institutions. The intervention is based on Compassion Focused Therapy and designed to support staff in managing stress, enhancing affect regulation, and strengthening compassion toward self and others. Three institutional units are included in the study. One unit is randomly selected to receive the full CFSS intervention, including a half-day introductory workshop and monthly staff support sessions over six months. A second unit serves as a control group and receives no intervention. A third unit receives only the initial workshop without follow-up sessions. The effect of the intervention is evaluated using a pre-test/post-test design. Outcomes include changes in staff-reported and client-reported social climate, assessed with validated questionnaires, as well as institutional data on critical incidents. The study aims to improve working conditions in secure settings and foster more compassionate, effective staff-client interactions.

Primed to Thrive: Investigating the Combined Impact of Mindfulness Education and Meditation Practice on Psychological and Workplace Outcomes

Employees commonly experience stress and reduced well-being that can affect workplace functioning. This interventional study will evaluate whether combining mindfulness-related educational materials with a brief daily guided meditation practice delivered through a smartphone application improves psychological well-being and workplace outcomes compared with educational materials alone. Adult employees will be randomized to receive the meditation plus educational materials during the initial intervention period or after a waitlist period, with assessments completed at multiple time points over approximately 12 weeks. The primary outcome will evaluate change in work engagement using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9).