Clinical trial NCT04169724: Meditation for Burnout in PA Students
Official title: Feasibility of The Mindfulness Meditation App "Calm" to Reduce Burnout in Physician Assistant Students
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Burnout, Student
Feasibility
Lead sponsor: Arizona State University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Calm.com, Inc.
First posted: 2019-11-20
Enrollment: 19
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: This study investigates the feasibility and effects of an app-based mindfulness meditation intervention for PA students.

Detailed description: The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of an app-based mindfulness meditation intervention for PA students.

The investigators will measure feasibility of using the Calm app for 10-minutes a day for four weeks in PA students. Feasibility will be measured with acceptability (i.e. satisfaction survey), demand (participation in the app as prescribed), and practicality (i.e., survey). Secondly, the investigators will determine the preliminary effects of a 4-week meditation intervention on burnout levels in PA students when compared to a wait list control group. Burnout symptoms (primary outcome), mindfulness, stress levels, and depressive symptoms (secondary outcomes) will be measured at baseline and post-intervention (4-weeks). Data gathered from this study will inform a future randomized controlled trial to determine the effects of a mindfulness meditation app on burnout in PA students. The information could also be used to design other studies assessing burnout in the workplace.

Aim 1: Determine the feasibility (acceptability, demand, practicality) of using the Calm app 10-minutes per day for four weeks in PA students. For the intervention group, our benchmarks will be as follows: 1) Acceptability (i.e., satisfaction) ≥70%, 2) Demand (i.e., participation in the app as prescribed, intention to use) ≥70%, 3) Practicality (i.e., survey) ≥70%.

Aim 2: Determine the preliminary effects of using the Calm app 10-minutes per day for four weeks on burnout (primary outcome) mindfulness, stress levels, and depressive symptoms (secondary outcomes) in PA students as compared to a wait-list control group.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Physician assistant students currently enrolled in school who do not practice meditation regularly
* \> 18 years of age
* Able to speak/read/understand English
* Residing in the U.S.
* Regular internet access via mobile phone, tablet, etc.
* Willing to participate in app-based meditation program
* Burnout, classified as a score greater than or equal to 3 on the non-propriety single item burnout measure.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Physician assistant students who currently (within the last six months) practice meditation
* Professionals who identify as a practicing physician assistant
* People who are not currently enrolled in physician assistant school
* Individuals who are not burnt out, classified as a score less than or equal to 2 on the non-propriety single item burnout measure.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Burnout
timeFrame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (week 4).
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Mindfulness
timeFrame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (week 4).
measure: Stress
timeFrame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (week 4).
measure: Depression
timeFrame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (week 4).
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Phoenix
country: United States
facility: Arizona Biomedical Collaborative
state: Arizona
Study officials:
affiliation: Arizona State University
name: Jennifer Huberty, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: