A Pilot RCT on the Effect of ExAT on Teacher Burnout and Stress

NCT05637190 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: PSY025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The objective of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of Expressive Art Therapy on reducing burnout and stress symptoms among Hong Kong's primary and secondary school teachers. The proposed study is a pilot randomized controlled trial. Prior to all study procedures, 90 participants (i.e., primary and secondary school teachers) will be recruited to complete an online informed consent with telephone support. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either the Expressive Arts Therapy group (ExAT group) or the waitlist control group (WL group) in a ratio of 1:1. The ExAT group will receive the Expressive Arts intervention via face-to-face workshops for 2 consecutive weeks (2 hours per session). There are a total of 3 batches (around 15 participants per batch) for the intervention. Participants in this group will be in touch with their inner selves and inner resources via body movement, writing and music. There will be visual art creation as a conclusion for integrating the body and mind. The art products would be placed in their workplace for stress regulation. The WL control group will not receive any intervention during the study, but they will receive self-help art therapy materials after the whole study procedure. The outcome measures include burnout, stress, depressive, and anxiety symptoms, as well as insomnia symptoms, physical activity, health-related quality of life, and the intervention acceptability at baseline, immediate post-treatment, and 4-week follow-up assessments by completing the same questionnaire set.

Conditions

Burnout; Stress

Keywords

Expressive Arts Therapy; Teachers; Randomized controlled trial

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Changes in Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM)

  A 14-item questionnaire with 7-point scale will be used for physical fatigue, emotion exhaustion, and cognitive weariness. The score ranges from 1(never or almost never) to 7 (always or almost always). Item 1-5: physical fatigue; item 6-8: emotional exhaustion; and item 9-14: cognitive wariness

  baseline (week 0), immediate post intervention (week 3) and 4-week post intervention follow up

• Change in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

  A 10-item questionnaire measuring the perceived degree of stress across situations over the past month. Items include how unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded do the respondents perceive. the score ranges from 0 (never) to 4 (very often)

  baseline (week 0), immediate post intervention (week 3) and 4-week post intervention follow up

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Change in The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

  baseline (week 0), immediate post intervention (week 3) and 4-week post intervention follow up

• Change in The Generalized Anxiety disorder 7-item Scale (GAD-7)

  baseline (week 0), immediate post intervention (week 3) and 4-week post intervention follow up

• Change in Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)

  baseline (week 0), immediate post intervention (week 3) and 4-week post intervention follow up

• Change in Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20)

  baseline (week 0), immediate post intervention (week 3) and 4-week post intervention follow up

• Change in Short Form (Six-Dimension) Health Survey - The Chinese (Hong Kong) Version (SF-6D)

  baseline (week 0), immediate post intervention (week 3) and 4-week post intervention follow up

Study Arms (2)

Expressive Arts Therapy group

EXPERIMENTAL

The Expressive Arts Therapy group will receive the Expressive Arts intervention via face-to-face workshops for 2 consecutive weeks (2 hours per session). there are a total of 3 batches (around 15 participants per batch) for the intervention.

Other: Expressive Arts Therapy group intervention

Waitlist control group

NO INTERVENTION

The Waitlist control group will not receive any intervention during the study, but they will receive self-help art therapy materials after the whole study procedure.

Interventions

Expressive Arts Therapy group intervention OTHER

Art is helpful to reduce negative emotions and boost self-worth during the creative process. During the Expressive Arts Therapy workshops, participants experience different art forms, including visual art, body movement, writing, music, and guided imagery to identify the inner self and get in touch with the self to release suppressed emotions and stress.

Expressive Arts Therapy group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Hong Kong residents aged \>/=18
• Able to read Chinese (verbal expression in Chinese or English)
• With qualified teaching cert. (degree holder)
• Willing to provide informed consent and comply with the trial protocol
• Teacher work in primary or secondary school in Hong Kong

You may not qualify if:

• Current involvement in psychological treatment program for stress and / or burnout reduction
• A change in psychotropic drugs or over-the-counter medications that target mood within 2 weeks before the baseline assessment
• A Patient Health Questionnair-9 (PHQ-9) item 9 score \> 2 indicating a serious level of suicidal risk

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chinese University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, HKSAR, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Burnout, Psychological

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Fiona YY Ho, Ph.D

  Chinese University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Yeuk Yu Yip

CONTACT

3943 6575; pmhlab@cuhk.edu.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 24, 2022
• First Posted: December 5, 2022
• Study Start: January 10, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2023
• Study Completion: December 31, 2023
• Last Updated: February 8, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

HK (1)