Mindfulness Intervention for Early Childhood Educators

NCT04815252 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 20336
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This is a randomized trial of the 'Cultivating Healthy, intentional, Mindful Educators' (CHIME) intervention designed for early childhood educators. The intervention aims to enhance wellbeing, emotion regulation, and sensitive, responsive caregiving among educators by providing them with mindfulness, compassion-based techniques to alleviate stress and respond to emotional challenges in the classroom. The intervention ultimately aims to enhance children's self-regulation through sensitive, responsive caregiving. Measures of teachers' emotional regulation, wellbeing, and stress physiology will be collected pre- and post- the 8 week intervention and compared to a waitlist comparison group. Measures of child self-regulation also will be collected to assess the relation of teacher stress, wellbeing and emotion regulation to child self-regulation.

Conditions

Stress, Psychological; Stress, Physiological

Keywords

Mindfulness; Early childhood educator; Intervention; Burnout

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (13)

• Change on the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale Revised

  Measures attention regulation, awareness, acceptance, and mindful focus on the present. The scale comprises 12 items rated on a 5-point scale. Scores on this scale range from 12-60, with higher scores indicating greater levels of mindfulness.

  Week 1, week 9

• Change on the Self Compassion Scale - Short Form

  Measures the tendency to treat oneself with compassion, mindfulness and feelings of isolation. The scale comprises 12 items, with scores ranging from 12-60. Higher scores indicate greater levels of self-compassion.

  Week 1, Week 9

• Change on the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

  Measures the tendency to engage in cognitive reappraisal or suppression of negative emotions. The reappraisal scale comprises 6 items with scores ranging from 6-42. the suppression scale comprises 4 items with scores ranging from 4-28. Higher levels of reappraisal and lower levels of suppression are associated with better emotion regulation.

  Week 1, Week 9

• Change on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale

  Measures emotional awareness, clarity and strategy use, and impulse control. The scale comprises 36 items rated on a 5-point scale, with total scores ranging from 36-180. Higher scores indicate higher levels of difficulty regulating emotions.

  Week 1, Week 9

• Change on the Emotion Stroop

  Computerized task administered online that measures the ability to override attentional interference from emotion. A greater difference in the reaction times for emotional vs. neutral trials indicates greater in difficulty in over-riding attentional interference from emotion.

  Week 1, Week 9

• Change on the Modified Emotional Exogenous Cuing Paradigm

  Computerized task administered online that measures the ability to override attentional interference from emotion. Longer reaction times during incongruent emotional trials relative to neutral emotional trials indicate greater difficulty resisting attentional interference from emotion.

  Week 1, Week 9

• Change on the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Measure

  A Rasch-validated questionnaire that captures feelings of happiness, social wellbeing and quality of life. Scores range from 14-70, with higher scores indicating higher levels of wellbeing.

  Week 1, Week 9

• Change on the The Early Childhood Job Attitude Survey

  A questionnaire that evaluates workplace satisfaction and supports and workload manageability. Scores range from 5-25, with higher scores indicating more negative workplace perceptions.

  Week 1, week 9

• Change on the Job Demands scale

  Taken from the Child Care Worker Job Stress Inventory, this questionnaire will provide a more detailed assessment of stress related to parent interactions and challenging child behavior. The scale comprises 16 items rated on a scale from 1-5. Total scores range from 16-80, with higher scores indicative of greater stress.

  Week 1, week 9

• Change on the The Effort/Reward imbalance scale

  This questionnaire measures the balance of effort relative to reward that people feel they are putting into their work. The effort-reward imbalance ratio is calculated as the effort score, which ranges from 5-25, divided by the reward score (ranging from 11-55) multiplied by a correction factor. The minimum score is 0 and values above 1 are less favorable and indicate a high level of effort relative to workplace reward.

  Week 1, week 9

• Change in Salivary Cortisol

  Measure of the reactivity of the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis. Saliva will be collected by passive drool in the morning and in the afternoon for two consecutive days.

  Week 1, week 9

• Change in the Heart rate variability

  Teachers will wear an 'Actiheart' device to measure cardiac inter-beat intervals and motion for three consecutive days in the classroom. Root mean square of successive differences will be calculated as a measure of heart rate variability.

  Week 1, Week 9

• Change in Classroom Assessment Scoring System Emotional Support score

  Teacher behavior will be observed and coded using the Emotional Support scale from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. The primary outcome is the Emotional Support scale, which centers on the teachers' capacity to create a sensitive and positive emotional climate in the classroom. Scores range from 0 to 7, with scores of 7 indicating higher levels emotional support.

  Week 1, week 9

Other Outcomes (2)

• Child self-regulation task

  Week 1

• Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Preschool

  Week 1

Study Arms (2)

CHIME Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will complete an 8-week compassion and mindfulness-based intervention with a group facilitator. The curriculum focuses on providing mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques for use in the early childhood education environment.

Behavioral: CHIME

Waitlist control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants are placed on a wait-list to receive the intervention.

Interventions

CHIME BEHAVIORAL

CHIME is a professional development program to provide knowledge and skills for nurturing early childhood educator mindfulness, compassion and socio-emotional learning. CHIME is a manualized curriculum delivered by a trained facilitator. The intervention consists of a 2-hour overview and seven weekly sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. Sessions can be delivered online or in-person.

CHIME Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 19 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Teachers/educators:
• Providing care to children aged birth through 6 years
• Participating in, or are signed up to eventually participate in, the 8-week "Cultivating Healthy Intentional, Mindful Educators" (CHIME) intervention
• English speakers
• years of age or older.
• Children:
• Aged 3-6 years
• Enrolled in a preschool setting with a teachers enrolled/signed up to participate in the CHIME study.
• English or Spanish speakers
• Parents:
• Have a child aged 3-6 who is enrolled in a preschool classroom of a teacher participating in the study.
• Speak and read English or Spanish and
• Legal guardian
• years of age or older.

You may not qualify if:

• \*Not participating/enrolled to participate in CHIME

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Nebraska Lincoln: lead
• Department of Health and Human Services: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, United States

Location

Related Publications (18)

• Cassidy, D. J., Lippard, C., King, E. K., & Lower, J. K. (2019). Improving the Lives of Teachers in the Early Care and Education Field to Better Support Children and Families. Family Relations. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12362

  BACKGROUND

• Curbow, B., Spratt, K., Ungaretti, A., McDonnell, K., & Breckler, S. (2000). Development of the child care worker job stress inventory. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15(4), 515-536. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(01)00068-0

  BACKGROUND

• Feldman, G., Hayes, A., Kumar, S., Greeson, J., & Laurenceau, J. (2007). Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: The Development and Initial Validation of the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assesssment, 29, 177-190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-006-9035-8

  BACKGROUND

• Flook L, Goldberg SB, Pinger L, Bonus K, Davidson RJ. Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout and teaching efficacy. Mind Brain Educ. 2013 Sep;7(3):10.1111/mbe.12026. doi: 10.1111/mbe.12026.

  PMID: 24324528 BACKGROUND

• Gioia, G. A., Espy, K. A., & Isquith, P. K. (2003). BRIEF-P: Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Preschool Version. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

  BACKGROUND

• Gotlib IH, McCann CD. Construct accessibility and depression: an examination of cognitive and affective factors. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1984 Aug;47(2):427-39. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.47.2.427.

  PMID: 6481620 BACKGROUND

• Gratz, K. L., & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26(1), 41-54. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOBA.0000007455.08539.94

  BACKGROUND

• Gross JJ, John OP. Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2003 Aug;85(2):348-62. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348.

  PMID: 12916575 BACKGROUND

• Howard SJ, Melhuish E. An Early Years Toolbox for Assessing Early Executive Function, Language, Self-Regulation, and Social Development: Validity, Reliability, and Preliminary Norms. J Psychoeduc Assess. 2017 Jun;35(3):255-275. doi: 10.1177/0734282916633009. Epub 2016 Feb 28.

  PMID: 28503022 BACKGROUND

• Jeon, L., Buettner, C. K., Grant, A. A., Jeon, L., Buettner, C. K., & Early, A. A. G. (2018). Early Childhood Teachers' Psychological Well-Being: Exploring Potential Predictors of Depression , Stress , and Emotional Exhaustion Early Childhood Teachers ' Psychological Well-Being : Exploring. Early Education and Development, 29(1), 53-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2017.1341806

  BACKGROUND

• Mamedova, S., & Redford, J. (2015). Early childhood program participation, From the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2012. Washington D.C.

  BACKGROUND

• McClelland, M. M., & Wanless, S. B. (2012). Growing up with assets and risks: The importance of self-regulation for academic achievement. Research in Human Development, 9(4), 278-297. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2012.729907

  BACKGROUND

• Neff, K. D. (2003). Measure - Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Self and Identity, 2, 223-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027

  BACKGROUND

• Oberle E, Schonert-Reichl KA. Stress contagion in the classroom? The link between classroom teacher burnout and morning cortisol in elementary school students. Soc Sci Med. 2016 Jun;159:30-7. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.031. Epub 2016 Apr 24.

  PMID: 27156042 BACKGROUND

• Roberts, A., LoCasale-Crouch, J., Hamre, B., & DeCoster, J. (2016). Exploring Teachers' Depressive Symptoms, Interaction Quality, and Children's Social-Emotional Development in Head Start. Early Education and Development, 27(5), 642-654. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1127088

  BACKGROUND

• Siegrist J, Starke D, Chandola T, Godin I, Marmot M, Niedhammer I, Peter R. The measurement of effort-reward imbalance at work: European comparisons. Soc Sci Med. 2004 Apr;58(8):1483-99. doi: 10.1016/S0277-9536(03)00351-4.

  PMID: 14759692 BACKGROUND

• Stewart-Brown S, Tennant A, Tennant R, Platt S, Parkinson J, Weich S. Internal construct validity of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): a Rasch analysis using data from the Scottish Health Education Population Survey. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2009 Feb 19;7:15. doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-7-15.

  PMID: 19228398 BACKGROUND

• Carlson SM. Developmentally sensitive measures of executive function in preschool children. Dev Neuropsychol. 2005;28(2):595-616. doi: 10.1207/s15326942dn2802_3.

  PMID: 16144429 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress, Psychological; Burnout, Psychological

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Caron Clark

  UNL

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Holly Hatton-Bowers

  UNL

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants are assigned, based on childcare center, to the intervention or waitlist control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 27, 2020
• First Posted: March 24, 2021
• Study Start: September 1, 2020
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2023
• Study Completion: May 1, 2023
• Last Updated: June 8, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
• Time Frame: After publication of the data.
• Access Criteria: Researchers may contact the study team to obtain information.

Locations

US (1)