NCT03240705

Brief Summary

Clerkship causes significant stress to medical students. Some interventions to increase well-being have been described but none have been studied prospectively in this context. The primary objective of this study is to examine the effects of gratitude journaling on medical clerks' perceived well-being. Students will be randomised to one of two groups: gratitude journaling or no intervention. The participants of the experimental group will be asked to complete an online gratitude journal 3 times per week and will be compared to the participants in the control group. The students in both groups will answer a standardised questionnaire evaluating well-being before and after their surgical rotation. Those randomised to the intervention group will perform gratitude journaling three times a week during their surgical rotation. This activity consists of writing something that made them feel happy during their day. Those randomised in the control group (no intervention) will proceed with their normal rotation, without additional gratitude journaling. The main outcome will be evaluated by comparing the well-being at the end of the surgical rotation as evaluated by a composite well-being assessment scale between both groups.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
53

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Aug 2017

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

May 29, 2017

Completed
2 months until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

August 7, 2017

Completed
24 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

August 31, 2017

Completed
4.3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 22, 2021

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 22, 2021

Completed
Last Updated

February 1, 2023

Status Verified

January 1, 2023

Enrollment Period

4.3 years

First QC Date

May 29, 2017

Last Update Submit

January 31, 2023

Conditions

Stress, Psychological

Keywords

StressMedical education

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Well-being

    Medical student well-being at the end of their surgical rotation. Measured by Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1983)

    6 weeks after enrollment

  • Well-being

    Medical student well-being at the end of their surgical rotation. Measured by Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, 1985)

    6 weeks after enrollment

Secondary Outcomes (2)

  • Well-being before and after comparison

    6 weeks after enrollment in study

  • Compliance with gratitude journaling

    6 weeks after enrollment in study

Study Arms (2)

Gratitude journaling

EXPERIMENTAL

Students perform gratitude journaling 3 times per week on a form. This activity consists of writing elements of their day that brought happiness to them. Can be in keyword form or in sentences.

Behavioral: Gratitude journaling

No intervention

NO INTERVENTION

Students proceed with their surgical clerkship as is standard in our institution.

Interventions

Gratitude journalingBEHAVIORAL

Gratitude journaling 3 times a week during surgical rotation

Gratitude journaling

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Medical students at the University of Montreal about to begin their surgical clerkship rotation.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Faculté de Médecine de l'Université de Montréal

Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada

Location

Related Publications (4)

  • van Dijk I, Lucassen PLBJ, Akkermans RP, van Engelen BGM, van Weel C, Speckens AEM. Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Mental Health of Clinical Clerkship Students: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. Acad Med. 2017 Jul;92(7):1012-1021. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001546.

    PMID: 28121650BACKGROUND

  • Pettitt BJ. Medical student concerns and fears before their third-year surgical clerkship. Am J Surg. 2005 Apr;189(4):492-6. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2004.09.017.

    PMID: 15820468BACKGROUND

  • Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96. No abstract available.

    PMID: 6668417BACKGROUND

  • Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The Satisfaction With Life Scale. J Pers Assess. 1985 Feb;49(1):71-5. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.

    PMID: 16367493BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress, Psychological

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral SymptomsBehavior

Study Officials

  • Erica Patocskai, MD

    Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Masking Details
The questionnaires will be coded as to not be able to identify study arm.
Purpose
PREVENTION
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

May 29, 2017

First Posted

August 7, 2017

Study Start

August 31, 2017

Primary Completion

December 22, 2021

Study Completion

December 22, 2021

Last Updated

February 1, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-01

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations

CA(1)