Blue Light Emergency Services Wellbeing Feasibility Study

NCT04749966 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 19_20_029IRAS 278059
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Emergency Service teams operate in some of the most challenging workplaces and experience higher rates of mental ill health than the general population. Effective interventions are required to enhance wellbeing, but as a first step it is crucial to understand the context through which to develop these initiatives. This preliminary study will test the feasibility of implementing a larger study to map the relationship between physical responses associated with levels of stress (heart rate variability) and personal, social and organisational factors that mediate these responses. In doing so, it is hoped to provide an insight into factors that shape emergency staff members' response to stress to help develop and personalise wellbeing initiatives.

Conditions

Wellbeing

Keywords

Emergency services; wellbeing; stress; physiological responses; subjective mediators

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Feasibility of study recruitment - the number of staff volunteering to take part

  The number of staff volunteering to take part

  From the start to the end of recruitment at each participating site, approximately 4 weeks

• Feasibility of study recruitment - the proportion of staff targeted through study advertising who volunteer to take part

  The proportion of staff estimated to have been targeted through study advertising who volunteer to take part

  From the start to the end of recruitment at each participating site, approximately 4 weeks

• Feasibility of study recruitment - the proportion of staff volunteering to take part in the study who are eligible

  The proportion of staff volunteering to take part in the study who are eligible

  From the start to the end of recruitment at each participating site, approximately 4 weeks

• Adherence to heart rate monitoring during 3-day lifestyle assessment

  The proportion of time the heart rate monitor was worn by participants measured using data collected by the monitor

  At Day 3 of the lifestyle assessment

• Adherence to completion of online journal during 3-day lifestyle assessment

  The proportion of participants completing the journal

  At Day 3 of the lifestyle assessment

• Feasibility of conducting interviews

  The proportion of participants in whom an interview is arranged and completed

  On completion of interviews i.e. at approximately 8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Heart rate variance

  Measured during lifestyle assessment over a period of 3 days - at approximately 3 weeks post-recruitment

• Subjective mediators of stress

  On completion of interviews i.e. at approximately 8 weeks

Study Arms (1)

Emergency services staff

Emergency Services staff recruited from the Ambulance, Police, and Fire and Rescue Services.

Other: This is an observational study, there are no interventions

Interventions

This is an observational study, there are no interventions OTHER

This is an observational study, there are no interventions

Emergency services staff

Eligibility Criteria

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

Study Population

A purposive, non-probability sample will be selected and recruited comprising ten operational shift working staff from each of three emergency services (Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and East of England Ambulance Trust).

You may qualify if:

• are aged 18 or older
• full-time employees
• work shift patterns and will be on-duty during the study period

You may not qualify if:

• off-duty or on leave during the study period
• part-time (or on-call) employees
• not working shift patterns
• currently taking part in research that may impact on results, design or scientific value of this study (or other studies)
• not able to read or understand the English Language as it will not be possible to provide translation services for the study
• In addition, the results from the heart rate monitor may be unreliable with certain medical conditions and, as such, staff will not be able to take part if they have had a heart transplant or if they have a pacemaker, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter or uncontrolled thyroid disorder.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Anglia Ruskin University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Carmel Moore

Chelmsford, East of England, CM1 1SQ, United Kingdom

Location

Study Officials

• Enrico Dippenaar

  Anglia Ruskin University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 29, 2021
• First Posted: February 11, 2021
• Study Start: February 15, 2021
• Primary Completion: October 27, 2021
• Study Completion: October 27, 2021
• Last Updated: February 9, 2022

Record last verified: 2021-10

Locations

GB (1)