Focus of Study, Stress
Conditions
Keywords
guided imagery, burnout, compassion fatigue, state anxiety
Brief summary
Primary Aim A. To determine if listening to prerecorded guided imagery 3 times per week for 4 weeks will reduce state anxiety, perceived stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma in Fronltine Service staff. Primary Aim B. To determine if staff will continue to listen to guided imagery after the first 4 weeks of the study is over.
Detailed description
The purpose of this study is to compare the change in stress levels of employees who listen to prerecorded guided imagery to employees who take breaks, and to determine if employees are likely to adopt prerecorded guided imagery as a self-care tool. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the guided imagery group or the control group. Members of the control group will be asked to take a 10 minute break 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Members of the guided imagery group will be asked to listen to one prerecorded guided imagery track 3 times per week for 4 weeks. All participants will fill out questionnaires before and after the 4 week period. All participants will fill out a short form before and after listening to each guided imagery, or before and after taking each break. Phase 2: After phase 1 is complete, all participants will have the option to participate in phase 2 of the study. During phase 2, participants will receive a calendar and put a mark on every day that they listen to a guided imagery track. At the end of 4 weeks, participants will turn in the calendar.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALGuided Imagery
Guided imagery is a stress management technique that uses verbal suggestion and descriptive language to guide the listener into imagining sensations and visualizing images in the mind in order to bring about a desired physical response, such as reduction in anxiety, stress, or pain. The guided imagery tracks chosen for the study were chosen because their goal is relaxation and stress relief, and their length is under 15 minutes.
Sponsors
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
FrontLine Service
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Staff of a nonprofit who work a minimum of three shifts per week * Willing and able to use about 8-15 minutes of their lunch hours three times per week for for four weeks for the study
Exclusion criteria
* Staff members will be excluded from the study if they currently listen to guided imagery * Those currently experiencing drug or alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, or other serious mental health issue while not under the care of a trained mental health professional will also be excluded
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| State Anxiety as Measured by the State Anxiety Short Form | 4 weeks | Participants in the experimental group will fill out the State Anxiety Short Form, a 6-item questionnaire before and after listening to guided imagery. Participants in the control group will fill out the same measure before and after taking a break. This will be done 3 times per week for a duration of 4 weeks. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Burnout, as measured by the ProQol | 4 weeks | Participants in both the control and experimental groups will complete the ProQol, a 30-item questionnaire, before and after the 4-week intervention period. |
| Perceived Stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale | 4 weeks | Participants in the experimental and control groups will complete the Perceived Stress Scale, a self-report, 10-item questionnaire, before and after the 4-week intervention period. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed