Online Socio-emotional Dyad Training for Healthcare Professionals' Well-being and Social Skills, Phase II.

NCT07637422 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Edu:Social HealthCare Project2
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 666
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Edu:Social Health Care Project Phase II is a non-randomized waitlist-controlled trial with sequential recruitment of the intervention and waitlist control groups (nrWLC), designed to evaluate the effects of a partner-based Dyad-based empathy-compassion mental training (EmCo) intervention on healthcare professionals with regard to following primary outcome domains: 1) mental health, 2) resilience, 3) social cohesion and support, 4) social skills, 5) coping and emotion regulation, and 6) social behaviors. One main goal is to examine the effects of such adapted 8-week EmCo Dyad intervention within the health care context, with a particular focus on strengthening healthcare professionals' mental health, resilience, social skills and behaviors, and social cohesion as well as fostering interprofessional attitudes by pairing every week study partners across different healthcare disciplines with each other for practicing their daily Dyads (e.g., nurses will practice daily via app with medical doctors or midwives). A further aim is to validate the novel Dyad Voice Assessment (DYVA) task, which explores the use of app-based voice recordings as indicators of healthcare professionals' emotional states during their daily partner-based Dyad practice. By combining healthcare professionals' self-reported practice-related emotions with partner-based evaluations, this approach aims to generate new and innovate, more objective markers of training-induced changes in emotional processing and regulation over time in a real-live applied setting. The final aim is to investigate the cognitive and affective mechanisms and factors underlying observed changes in healthcare professionals' mental health, resilience, social cohesion, social skills and social behaviors, that may explain observed training-related effects in primary outcome domains. Based on previous research, we expect the socio-emotional EmCo Dyad training to activate evolutionary old care- and affiliation-based motivational systems that foster positive affect and motivation, acceptance, trust social capacities and behavioral tendencies. These processes should go along with reduction in loneliness, stress and other mental vulnerabilities (anxiety, depression, burn-out etc.) and foster social skills such as empathy, compassion as well as social cohesion and resilience.

Conditions

Intervention Condition; Control Condition

Keywords

Mental Training; Dyad training; Compassionate Listening; Empathic Listening; Empathy; Compassion; Mental-Health; Online & App-based Training; Resilience; Social Cohesion; Social Skills; AI-based Voice Assessment; Healthcare professionals

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (20)

• Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21)

  A scale measuring depression, anxiety, and stress (Henry \& Crawford, 2005; Nilges \& Essau, 2021). Higher scores indicate more depression, anxiety, and stress

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

• Maslach burnout inventory-human services survey (MBI-HSS)

  A scale measuring burnout (Maslach, 1996). Higher scores indicate more burnout.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

• UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA)

  A scale measuring loneliness severity (Döring \& Bortz, 1993; Russell et al., 1980). Higher scores indicate more loneliness.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

• Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC)

  A scale measuring psychological resilience (Connor \& Davidson, 2003; Sarubin et al., 2015). Higher scores indicate more resilience.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

• Social closeness (IOS per profession)

  A scale measuring the felt closeness between persons or groups/communities using a visual representation (Aron et al., 1992; Kinnunen \& Windmann, 2013). Higher score indicates more social closeness.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

• Interprofessionalism Scale (IPAS-D)

  A scale (Norris et al., 2015; Pedersen et al., 2020) measuring attitudes that relate to the Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPEC Report, 2011). Higher scores indicate more positive attitudes toward collaborative practice.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

• Social Support Scale (F-SozU K-6)

  A scale measuring the subjective feeling of having support available (Kliem et al., 2015). Higher scores indicate greater perceived social support.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

• Socio-Affective Video Task (SoVT)

  This task assesses behavioral empathy and compassion using emotional video clips (Klimecki et al., 2014). Higher scores indicate more empathy or more compassion.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test), after 4 weeks of empathic listening training (mid-intervention) and after the 4 weeks of compassionate listening training (post-test 1 & 2)

• Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scale for Self and Others (SOCS)

  A scale measuring self-compassion (SOCS-S) and compassion for others (SOCS-O; Gu et al., 2020). Higher scores indicate more compassion.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test), after 4 weeks of empathic listening training (mid-intervention) and after the 4 weeks of compassionate listening training (post-test 1 & 2)

• Mentalization Scale (MENTS)

  A scale measuring the capacity of envisioning one's and others' behaviors with reference to the underlying mental states (Dimitrijević et al., 2018). Higher scores suggesting a more sophisticated capacity for mentalizing.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

• Prosodic Feature Pitch

  Acoustic assessment of the prosodic speech feature pitch (measured in Hz) during participants' daily Dyad practice, analyzed using audEERING devAIce software.

  Assessed weekly from week 1 to week 8, as part of the Dyad Voice Assessment (DYVA)

• Prosodic Feature Loudness

  Acoustic assessment of the prosodic speech feature loudness (unitless) during participants' daily Dyad practice, analyzed using audEERING devAIce software.

  Assessed weekly from week 1 to week 8, as part of the Dyad Voice Assessment (DYVA)

• Prosodic Feature Speaking Rate

  Acoustic assessment of the prosodic speech feature speaking rate (measured in syllables per minute) during participants' daily Dyad practice, analyzed using audEERING devAIce software.

  Assessed weekly from week 1 to week 8, as part of the Dyad Voice Assessment (DYVA)

• Prosodic Feature Intonation

  Acoustic assessment of the prosodic speech feature intonation (unitless) during participants' daily Dyad practice, analyzed using audEERING devAIce software.

  Assessed weekly from week 1 to week 8, as part of the Dyad Voice Assessment (DYVA)

• Affect Dimensions of Vocalized Emotional Expressions

  Assessment of continuous affective dimensions of vocalized emotional expressions during participants' daily Dyad practice using audEERING devAIce software. The following parameters will be assessed: arousal, valence, and dominance (each ranging from -1 to 1). Based on arousal-valence scores, the following affect-quadrant values will be calculated: high-arousal-high-valence; low-arousal-high-valence; low-arousal-low-valence; and high-arousal-low valence.

  Assessed weekly from week 1 to week 8, as part of the Dyad Voice Assessment (DYVA)

• Affect Categories of Vocalized Emotional Expressions

  Classification of vocalized emotional expressions intro affect categories during participants' daily Dyad practice, analyzed using audEERING devAIce software. The following parameters will be assessed: angry, happy, and sad, expressed as unitless values ranging from 0 to 1 representing category likelihood.

  Assessed weekly from week 1 to week 8, as part of the Dyad Voice Assessment (DYVA)

• Stress intensity

  Custom items based on the Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM; Delahaye et al., 2015; Peacock \& Wong, 1990) measuring stress intensity. Higher scores indicate more intense stress.

  Assessed using an EMA design with five push-notification measurements per day, distributed across five 3-hour intervals, on four days within a two-week period, at pre-test (Baseline) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-intervention).

• Coping strategies

  Custom items based on the Brief-COPE (Carver, 1997; Knoll et al., 2005) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ; Garnefski et al., 2001; Loch et al., 2011) measuring Coping Strategies (Acceptance, Positive Reinterpretation, Social Support, Rumination, Self-Blame, Distraction). Higher scores indicate a higher use of the specified coping strategies.

  Assessed using an EMA design with five push-notification measurements per day, distributed across five 3-hour intervals, on four days within a two-week period, at pre-test (Baseline) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-intervention).

• Active Empathic Listening Scale (AELS)

  A scale measuring active empathic listening (Bodie, 2011). Higher scores indicate more active empathic listening.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test), after 4 weeks of empathic listening training (mid-intervention) and after the 4 weeks of compassionate listening training (post-test 1 & 2)

• Attachment behavior (ASQ)

  A self-report questionnaire measuring attachment-related behaviors in interpersonal relationships, including proximity seeking, avoidance, and security (Hexel, 2004). Higher scores indicate more pronounced attachment-related behaviors.

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

Secondary Outcomes (20)

• Positive Affect (Affect Grid) (explanatory mechanism)

  Assessed weekly during the course of 8 weeks of intervention

• Emotion Acceptance (EAQ) (explanatory mechanism)

  Assessed weekly during the course of 8 weeks

• Gratitude Questionnaire-6 (GQ-5-G) (explanatory mechanism)

  Assessed weekly during the course of 8 weeks

• Self-Kindness Scale (SCS-SF) (explanatory mechanism)

  Assessed weekly during the course of 8 weeks

• Positive Interpretation Bias (ERT) (explanatory mechanism)

  Assessed at baseline (pre-test) and after the 8-week intervention period (post-test 1 & 2)

Other Outcomes (5)

• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; pre-screening)

  Assessed before the intervention, only once, to pre-screen out from the study individuals who have clinical levels of depressive symptoms

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7; pre-screening)

  Assessed prior to the intervention, only once, to pre-screen out from the study individuals who have clinical levels of anxious symptoms

• Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; pre-screening)

  Assessed before the intervention, only once, to pre-screen individuals' levels of alexithymia.

Study Arms (2)

Empathy- and compassion-based socio-emotional mental training (EmCo)

EXPERIMENTAL

EmCo includes onboarding sessions, weekly coaching, and daily Dyad practice over 8 weeks.

Behavioral: Empathy- and compassion-based socio-emotional mental training (EmCo)

Non-randomised waitlist control group (nrWLC)

OTHER

Initially, participants in the non-randomised waitlist control group will not receive the intervention and will be offered the EmCo training only after the intervention group has completed the EmCo training program.

Other: Non-randomized waitlist control group (nrWLC)

Interventions

Empathy- and compassion-based socio-emotional mental training (EmCo) BEHAVIORAL

1. Participants engage in a structured 13-minute partner-based contemplative exercise. Each dyad reflects on two experiences from the previous 24 hours: one involving a difficult emotion and one involving gratitude. Partners take turns speaking while the other listens non-judgmentally. During weeks 1-4, the practice emphasizes empathic listening; during weeks 5-8, compassionate listening. Participants are instructed to attend to bodily sensations associated with the emotions described. The practice aims to improve coping with difficult emotions, empathic and compassionate listening, (self)acceptance, compassion, gratitude, resilience. 2. Participants also attend eight 1.5-hour online group sessions led by Expert Dyad teachers. The coaching sessions help deepen the Dyad practice and educate participants about body language, coping better with difficult emotions/stress, the benefits of empathy versus compassion and the act of listening from a mindset of empathy versus compassion.

Empathy- and compassion-based socio-emotional mental training (EmCo)

Non-randomized waitlist control group (nrWLC) OTHER

Participants in the control group will not receive the intervention. They will complete pre- and post-test procedures consisting primarily of self-report questionnaires, and behavioral tasks, as well as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) conducted on four days within two weeks at pre-test and post-test 1 \& 2.

Non-randomised waitlist control group (nrWLC)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 68 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Between 18- and 65-years old.
• Currently practicing a healthcare profession in Germany or Austria 2a. Belongs to one of the eligible state-regulated professions with legally defined independent responsibility for patient care, including diagnosis, treatment, psychotherapy, maternity care, or the overall nursing process (e.g., physician, psychotherapist, midwife, or registered nurse).
• b. Regular direct contact with patients or clients as part of the professional role (3) Proficient in German. (4) Informed consent. (5) No diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder within the past two years. (6) Stable internet access and necessary technical equipment (mobile phone with internet access).
• (7) No regular contemplative practice (≤ 50 hours total within the past six months); healthy population, non-clinical population.

You may not qualify if:

• (8) Insufficient German proficiency. (9) Lack of stable internet access or required devices (mobile phone with internet access).
• (10) No informed consent. (11) Not currently practicing the profession, or working only in administrative, research, or teaching roles without patient contact.
• a. Professions are excluded if their primary role is supportive, assistive, emergency transport, preventive, counseling-focused, or based on prescribed adjunct therapies rather than independent responsibility for patient care, along with non-human-related professions. This includes, for example, nursing assistants, health psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dietitians, massage therapists, paramedics (Sanitäter), and other comparable support or adjunct roles.
• b. No regular direct patient or client contact (12) Regular contemplative practice (\> 50 hours in the past six months (e.g., dyad, mindfulness, compassion-based practices).
• (13) Current psychiatric diagnosis or therapy, or reaching screening cutoffs on:
• Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9 ; Martin et al., 2006 ; Löwe et al., 2004 ; Cutoff ≥ 15 ; or endorsing suicidality on the item 9),
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7; Löwe et al., 2007; Spitzer et al., 2006; Cutoff ≥ 15)
• Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20; Bagby et al., 1994; Ritz \& Kannapin, 2000; Cutoff ≥ 61)
• Standardized Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS; Moran et al., 2003; Söchtig et al., 2012, Cutoff ≥ 4).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Max Planck Social Neuroscience Lab: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being; Social Skills

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior; Social Behavior

Study Officials

• Tania Singer, Prof. Dr.

  Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Patrick Kutschar, Ass. - Prof. Dr.

  Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität (PMU)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Beate Priewasser, Dr.

  Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität (PMU)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Antonia Dinzinger, Dr.

  Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität (PMU)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Philipp Beuchel, Dr.

  Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Ananda Zeas-Sigüenza, Dr.

  Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Lab Manager Social Neuroscience Lab

CONTACT

+49 30 209346-180; office@social.mpg.de

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: After pre-screening and enrollment into the study groups, participants and coordination staff will be aware of group assignment (EmCo intervention group or non-randomized waitlist control group \[nrWLC\]) to ensure that only participants in the intervention group are organized into the appropriate coaching slots and onboarding I and II sessions prior to the start of the 8-week online intervention with daily practice. Outcome assessors and investigators remain blinded to participant allocation for the duration of the study.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: The study constitutes Phase II of the Health Care umbrella project, extending the intervention framework previously implemented with healthcare students in Phase I (NCT07407413) to practicing healthcare professionals.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 26, 2026
• First Posted: June 9, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 3, 2027
• Last Updated: June 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05