Reflective Tasks With Healthcare Workers During COVID-19

NCT04728958 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 170732
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 117
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The healthcare workforce is amongst the most stressed in the United Kingdom (UK). The Coronavirus (COVID-19) health pandemic has increased depression, anxiety, insomnia and distress in this population. Gratitude interventions have been shown to improve wellbeing, alongside reducing risk factors associated with the aforementioned mental health conditions. This online Randomised Control Trial of 219 healthcare staff, will investigate the effects of a gratitude intervention on wellbeing (gratitude, positive affect, happiness) and psychological distress (depression and negative affect). Means of pre- and post-outcome measures of two groups (gratitude journal and control) will be assessed for differences utilising t-tests.

Conditions

Wellbeing; Psychological Distress; Emotional Distress; Depression; Happiness; Affect

Keywords

Gratitude

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Depression Level

  Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). This 9-item questionnaire, uses a 4-point likert scale to measure depression level. Minimum score = 0; maximum score = 27. Higher scores indicate higher levels of depression. Positive change scores indicates a worse outcome.

  Pre- to post-intervention (28 days)

• Change in Subjective Happiness Level

  Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS). This 4-item questionnaire, uses a 7-point likert scale to measure happiness level. Minimum score = 7; maximum score = 28. Higher scores indicate higher subjective happiness levels. Positive change scores indicates a better outcome.

  Pre- to post-intervention (28 days)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Change in State Gratitude

  Pre- to post-intervention (28 days)

• State Gratitude Score

  Weekly (Day 1, Day 7, Day 14, Day 28)

• Change in Trait Gratitude

  Pre- to post-intervention (28 days)

• Trait Gratitude score

  Pre-intervention

Other Outcomes (1)

• Positive and Negative Affect

  Weekly (Day 1, Day 7, Day 14, Day 28)

Study Arms (2)

Gratitude Journal

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be given instructions and asked to write a gratitude journal about their week, focusing upon what they are grateful for. Over the course of the 4-week intervention they will be asked to do this weekly (a total of four times).

Behavioral: Gratitude

Weekly Diary

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Participants will be given instructions and asked to write a diary about their week, focusing upon both the good and the bad they have experienced that week. Over the course of the 4-week intervention they will be asked to do this weekly (a total of four times).

Behavioral: Gratitude

Interventions

Gratitude BEHAVIORAL

A positive psychology intervention using expressions of gratitude

Also known as: Gratitude Letter, Gratitude Diary, Gratitude Journal, Appreciation Letter, expressing gratitude, positive psychology intervention

Gratitude Journal; Weekly Diary

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Staff working in a healthcare environment during the COVID-19 health pandemic, in clinical or non-clinical roles
• Basic understanding of the English language

You may not qualify if:

• Those engaged in other research projects
• Those without access to an electronic device to complete measures on
• Those without access to an email address
• Those receiving any other form of psychological intervention
• People who cannot commit to engage in a 4-week intervention study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Sheffield: lead
• Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: collaborator
• The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust: collaborator
• York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: collaborator
• Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Sheffield

Sheffield, S1 2LT, United Kingdom

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Vicky Lamb, MSc

  University of Sheffield

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants will only be aware of the arm they are allocated to and not the other arms available. They will also be unaware as to whether this is a treatment arm or the comparator control
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: T-tests compare the mean differences between groups split across the two IVs (intervention \& time), due to the between factors and within factors levels of the two IVs. Descriptive Statistics \& t-tests will be used to compare and assess cumulative gratitude week-by-week

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 11, 2021
• First Posted: January 28, 2021
• Study Start: March 19, 2021
• Primary Completion: February 28, 2022
• Study Completion: February 28, 2022
• Last Updated: May 24, 2022

Record last verified: 2021-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)